QST, №2, January, 1916, p. 6
By ..—..
Scene: Relay League station, Almost — anywhere.
Characters: Operator, a willing amateur explaining his set.
Another amateur, Mr. I am It — I know it all.
College student, somewhat scientific.
Opr. — "This is the sending set. I use about 1 kilowatt."
I am It —"Kill-oh-what?"
Student — "A.C. or D.C.?"
Mr. Opr. — "A.C. of course. This Clappham transformer is very efficient it steps the juice up to 20,000 and (opening shunt switch on hot-wire ammeter) I push 5 amps into the aerial."
Other Am. — "Well that's fair but if you had a good transformer like my Hardpack you'd get 6 amps. Then, of course, your wave is broad, and over 200."
College student, trying to get a word in to interrupt the coming war — "Now I don't quite understand that. You put in about 1,000 watts and get out 5 times 20,000 or 100,000 watts. Apparently 100 times as much; of course that couldn't be true by the Law of the Conservation of Energy. I wish you would explain that."
I am It — (In I-know-it-all-tone) Oh, that conservation of energy stuff is all wrong. The big stiffs in college guess too much. Why look here I'll prove it's all wrong.
Suppose I take a watch spring and wind it up. I've done work haven't I? Now I will drop it in to a jar of very strong acid. The acid will eat the spring up. Where has the energy in the spring gone? Well?"
Mr. Student — Now my good friend, your course of reasoning is all wrong. The evident disappearance of the energy can easily be explained by the First Law of Thermodynamics. You see — (Here his condenser broke down!)