 | The
Tesla Coil we bring with us is small, and only generates a couple hundred thousand volts of electricity... |
|---|
| The
Tesla Coil we bring with us is small, and only generates a couple hundred thousand volts of electricity... |
|---|
 |
|---|
 | . .
. and
will light up a
held in your hand. |
|---|
The Demonstration: A fluorescent light bulb held near a Tesla coil will light up and spark, even without being plugged in!
Quick Physics: The
Tesla coil creates an electric field that pushes electrons through the
light bulb. This is the same way the lights in your house work, except
in your house, the electricty comes through a wire instead of through
the air.
The Details:
A Tesla coil is a device for making very high voltages. Voltage is a
way to measure how much energy an electric charge has. Tesla coil can
make voltages of more than a million volts. The small one used in the
demonstration makes about 60,000 volts. Normally, such high voltages
are very dangerous, but the Tesla coil makes very high frequency
electricity. This means the coil turns on and off very quickly so they
electricity flows on the outside of your skin instead of through your
body.
The Tesla coil is very different from the Van de Graaff generator. A Van de Graaff generator makes static electricity; the charges donŐt move on their own. A Tesla coil makes current electricity; the charges are flowing. One end of the Tesla coil is connected to the ground. Because the coil makes very high voltages, the electricity can leave the Tesla coil and go through the air to get back to the ground. If a fluorescent light bulb is held near the coil, the electricity will then go through the light bulb to get to the ground, which makes it light up. If you get the light bulb close enough to the Tesla coil, you can see the electricity jumping into the light bulb.
Also see the page on Plasma Balls.
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Link to Teacher Resources
Page Updated 8/29/07