I want to make sparks. (NEW TOPIC: Making a Van de Graaff)

Edutainment · Post by **Edutainment** » Sun May 06, 2007 5:53 pm

I live nowhere near Boston, but the Ontario Science Centre is some fun. Do you know the rule for the length and width of an arc? I know voltage makes it longer but how much voltage for what length?

Post by **bicostp** » Sun May 06, 2007 5:59 pm

Well if you want to ruin the monitor you can CAREFULLY pull the board off the end of the tube then CAREFULLY break the little nub on the end. This lets air into the tube, and since air conducts electricity it destroys the capacitance. (The tube itself is one huge capacitor.) When it stops hissing there should be no more danger.

limpport wrote:You should check out the Boston Science Museum. They have the worlds largest Van de Graff generator, and tesla coils that shoot 4 foot sparks. I went down there a week or so ago. The lightning show is freakin' amazing.

Isn't it?

I think they can bring out some fluorescent tubes, pull them out of the box, and have them glow without plugging them into anything. That's fun.

I am NOT responsible if you follow these instructions with a CRT and suffer bodily harm, loss or damage of property, or loss of consciousness or life. Side effects may include nausea, vomiting, death, or permanent burnt odor. Seriously, they're dangerous to mess with.

Edutainment · Post by **Edutainment** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:28 pm

I know I seem really indecisive, but I don't think I'm going to make one now.

As you've stated, it is not without good reason, but the danger isn't why I'm not doing it (maybe a little).

I'm going to make a nice, safe, but rad, mini Van de Graaff. I'm making a neat plan/blueprint now, I'll post it when I'm done so you guys can verify the accuracy, then construction can commense.

theelk · Post by **theelk** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:35 pm

Oh yeah, I've been to Boston. Crazy big Van der Graaf. It's fun to put your hand near it (one of the smaller ones).

Edutainment · Post by **Edutainment** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:21 pm

Here's my simple plan, adapted from that of Scitoys.com. I didn't bother actually drawing the pulleys but I stated their presence in brackets. Anything missing? Anything wrong?

limpport · Post by **limpport** » Mon May 07, 2007 6:43 pm

bicostp wrote:
limpport wrote:You should check out the Boston Science Museum. They have the worlds largest Van de Graff generator, and tesla coils that shoot 4 foot sparks. I went down there a week or so ago. The lightning show is freakin' amazing.
Isn't it? I think they can bring out some fluorescent tubes, pull them out of the box, and have them glow without plugging them into anything. That's fun.

They did that. The lady had kids from the audience try it. My physics teacher did it with us in school last year.

ATOMICMAN · Post by **ATOMICMAN** » Mon May 07, 2007 7:50 pm

limpport wrote:
bicostp wrote:
limpport wrote:You should check out the Boston Science Museum. They have the worlds largest Van de Graff generator, and tesla coils that shoot 4 foot sparks. I went down there a week or so ago. The lightning show is freakin' amazing.
Isn't it? I think they can bring out some fluorescent tubes, pull them out of the box, and have them glow without plugging them into anything. That's fun.
They did that. The lady had kids from the audience try it. My physics teacher did it with us in school last year.

you can light tubes under high voltage power lines (the huge ones not the average ones outside your house).