Quote:
Originally posted by Althornin
Ok, but you are missing a few things:
The limit is the salt bridge, not the direct connection between the two metals....ergo, the galvanic cell will not be producing a high current, and you will not need to send a high current in reverse.
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No, it is you who is missing things.
It seems to me I've explained things such that anyone who is truly trying to understand can. However, I'll try briefly one more time.
Assume you have a D-cell battery.
If there is no conductor between the positive and negative terminals of the battery, then very little reaction will occur in the battery. There is no need to apply a voltage to the battery to stop the reaction from occuring.
If there is a copper wire connecting the two terminals of the battery, then a very energetic reaction will occur in the battery. In theory you could use an external power source to maintain the 'natural' voltage of the battery between the terminals. However, considering the amount of power that would need to be dissipated in the copper wire to maintain that 'natural' battery voltage, it's pointless to try.
Only in the
unusual case (WRT WC systems) where there is a 'high' resistance between the terminals of the battery, can an external power source be of any value.
Yes, the electrolyte in a watercooling system is much less conductive than the electrolyte in a battery. However this is beside the point in discussing the usefulness of an externally applied power source. It is the resistance of the conductive path outside the coolant that matters when discussing external power sources.
A somewhat relevant link.