Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
need circuit plans for high voltage arc?
wanna show kids how voltage can work thru wood and how it makes patterns in certain kinds of powdered matter. i have done soldering in my past and have messed with Tesla's coils.even got hit by a microwave once and will never forget that lesson.i am older n smarter now and respect electricity.
2 Answers
- Robert JLv 74 months ago
A Van de Graaf or Wimshurst generator will produce high voltages and long sparks, but not burn anything.
A old can-style car ignition coil [from a vehicle engine with a distributor] plus a driver circuit using eg. a 555 timer oscillator and a power transistor, can produce continuous arcs such as needed for a "Jacobs Ladder" and I'd think it will also burn wood quite well.
Unlike the Van de Graaf, it's also rather dangerous & very possibly lethal if touched while operating.
Search google for "555 car ignition coil driver" and you will get hundreds of examples.
(Edit - a lot of those examples seem to use normal 1N4000 or 5400 series diodes - in a high frequency circuit such as this, they should really be "fast recovery" types for reliability and maximum output).
- PhilomelLv 74 months ago
High voltage ARC? You want a Van De Graff generator. It will produce 50Kv and give you a beautiful arc. Plans are online.
