TonyMcC

Patent it quick if you think so - I'm too old to bother - lol.

I wonder if there are so many people who like to shower for really long periods there could be a market for a water diverting system. You shower and use your shampoo and shower gel, rinse yourself off well and then kick in the water diverter. You would thus keep recycling the clean water that runs off your clean body for as long as you like without wasting water. Finally kick the diverter back for really pure water for a final rinse. You would need to incorporate some sort of low power water heating system for the recycled water. It wouldn't appeal to me as once I feel clean and refreshed I want my breakfast. Eating cornflakes under a shower probably wouldn't be a good idea!

God knows!!

I note you are writing a story, a work of fiction. I wouldn't be drawn to a single word title that might better suit a text book. This would be particularly so if I didn't know what that one word meant, for example "xenoarchaeology" (excuse my ignorance!). I think CaptainPanic has the right (or write - lol) idea. (IMO) Brief and catchy yes - but also hints about the contents of your story .

I think it's worth noting that the geometrical proof has nothing to do with numbers per se. Its about areas. There are several proofs in the link. The one I used in school was proof 12 for example. http://www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/

Whilst we are speculating, I imagine an important factor examined 1n the 1926 Electricity(Supply)Act was efficiency if the UK was to have a standard countrywide connected system. The higher the voltage used on the transmission lines the lower will be loss due to heating of the lines. One of the considerations was likely to be just how high can we go? I would think that insulation between the lines and the metal pylons may have been a limiting factor. This of course brings in the need to consider Vpeak for the values given in Vrms as mentioned by Ewmon. e.g. the insulators for the 132 KV system would have to withstand peak voltages of approx 187 KV. Perhaps someone decided on a 200 KV limit as a maximum. Perhaps they started with this maximum they considered safe and worked their way down. Perhaps starting from this basis they then decided to have a nice many factored number as mentioned by John Cuthber. Who knows?

The best I can come up with is that the nation grid was standardised at 132KV by the 1926 Electricity(Supply) Act. This does have 240 as one of its factors. But I can't easily find why this value was chosen. I don't intend to spend money trying to get copies of minutes of meetings from archives (if they are available). As I say, I have never heard or read of the factor argument being a reason for its choice and in my line of work and experience I would have expected to. I have to wonder if you have heard or read of this or whether it just seems a reasonable idea to you. If you have heard or read of this I would like details please. By the way I believe present day systems step down to domestic systems along the lines of 400KV, 275KV,132KV, 34KV, 11KV ,230V. Some pretty strange ratios here. Incidentally, I am pleased that when I had a gliding accident about 35 years ago I "only" collided with 11KV lines!

OK, let's get back to square 1 - What is the significance of 230V? Depending on the country the question might have been asked using any of the values 110V:115V:120V:127V:220V:230V:240V. Because of this variation I deduce the value chosen is somewhat arbitrary. It seems to have been chosen at various times to suit the technology of the time. What I doubt is some authoritative body said " We choose 240V because it divides by so many factors" As I have said - I may be wrong but if so I am surprised that I have never come across this as a statement (before).

All I can definitely say is that I have never heard this explanation so cannot say whether you are right or wrong. I would have expected to have come across it if you are correct. A reference showing that you are correct would earn an apology from me.

Of course It is possible that the anonymous guy who posts as TonyMcC and who is now retired after a working life (including teaching) in electricity and electronics may not have come across the given reasons for 240 being used for mains supplies.

I'm sorry, but the following link gives a completely different "History":- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity I have only heard of the number 240 being chosen for the reasons you state in respect of the number of pennies in the old British pound.

No particular reason as far as I know. There is a list of different countries and the mains voltage they use:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country By and large the higher the voltage the less the power loss in the connecting wiring, but the lower the voltage the less the risk of electrocution.

I am very uneasy about the way the Israelis seem to believe they have some God given right to keep annexing Palestinian land.

It's worth mentioning that the the strength of your magnet will be increased if you use more wire so that you can increase the turns around your iron core. This will also increase the resistance of your coil which will help in limiting current through it. But you still need to do your calculations and use a controlling/limiting device such as a rheostat or regulated power supply as mentioned in the above posts.

If you can then appeal to their vanity. If you know (or can find out) their name then write to them by name. If you know (or can find out) their special area of interest then mention that also interests you. Be careful over details such as your spelling. Best of luck.

I see your first post occurred at 3.56 a.m. UK time. So the best I can do is wish a youngster a happy hangover!

Deleted what I was going to say because a joke's a joke, but **** a pantomime!

I've never heard of this - but I have heard talk of Max Factor Knacker Lacquer which,or so I hear, adds lustre to your cluster.

I tend to agree. IMO any geometric construction is true for any size the construction is scaled against. For example given a particularly shaped right angle triangle with side ratios 3,4,5 will tell you that 3^2+4^2=5^2. But unless you are given the scale it might well stand for 30^2+40^2=50^2. I deduce that if you start with a geometric construction, you can only get ratios from it. Not absolute values (again IMO).

If I were you and you consider your symptoms more or less permanent then I think you should see a doctor. Following a particular incident I suffered most of what you describe over a period of weeks, mostly the last three (uncontrolled emotions, unthoughtful acts, switching of behaviour). I'm now back to being my usual self and do think I suffered some sort of temporary mental disturbance. If I felt my experience was anything other than a passing phase then I would seek medical advice. I must emphasise that I have no medical experience - really just empathising, but seeking proper medical advice surely can't be bad?

You already have it - its known as a forum on the internet. In fact you have had that possibility since the written word became common. As for me and,I believe, for most people seeing the face and its expressions is a valuable component of communication. I have a feeling you are pulling my leg - or as a well known veteran tennis player might say "You can't be serious!"

It will be necessary to put energy into the cat in the form of food. If you don't the "machine" will come to a stop with the cat permanently on its back.

Gosh, you lot make me feel unimaginative! No prizes for guessing how I chose mine lol!!

Isn't most of our instinctive behaviour some sort of hangover from primitive times? I see these hungover factors as aids to social living. Without them we could easily find ourselves isolated and "lonely in the midst of a crowd". Can you explain why I smile with pleasure when I meet my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren? .

Perhaps you should read - http://scienceray.com/biology/zoology/why-chimpanzees-smile/ To quote from the link -