[Shotimes] bosch platinum +4's

[James F. Ryan III]

> I never understood the concept anyway. Doesn't
> electricity follow the path of least resistance? ie,
> the current is only going to flow to one prong, not
> four?

Yes, your statement is true....to a point.

If electricity is given a choice between a good conductor, like copper wire,
and a good insulator, like rubber or air, it will always follow the path of
least resistance - in this case the copper wire.

The very nature of a high-voltage arc/spark/lightning bolt is that it is
never straight.  It is jumpy and unpredictable.  This is because the
molecules immediately surrounding the the arc get ionized and become a
better conductor than the present path.  The electricity jumps to these
newly ionized molecules and the lightning bolt/spark/arc attains it "jumpy",
"jagged", and "unpredictable" shape.

The Bosch engineers tried to exploit this "unpredictability".  Paul and Ian
are correct, the arc will only jump to one electrode at a time.  However,
the unpredctability of the high voltage through a good insulator (like air)
will cause the arc to randomly jump to the 4 different electrodes thereby
"spreading itself around the combustion chamber".

Jason, your explanation is text-book correct except that you used "circuit
analysis" to describe the behavior, and circuit analysis assumes you have a
circuit made of good CONDUCTORS, not insulators being forced to conduct.
High-voltage is a another text book altogether.




>
> Ian
>
>
> --- Zach Leahy <leahyz@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Apr 6, 2005 2:28 PM, Paul L Fisher
> > <sho@paul-fisher.com> wrote:
> > > BMWCCA says to stay away from them. I've heard
> > anecdotal evidence that they
> > > suck as well.
> >
> >
> > Agreed, the general consnsus around here it they are
> > not anything
> > special.  Will they work, yeah probably.  Are you
> > throwing extra
> > dollars away, yeah probably.  They may fit, but
> > expect no gain in
> > performance.  Save the $, buy the motorcrafts.
> >
> > Z
> >
>
>
>
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