The experiment is very simple.
It consists of two parallel spark gaps, one spark gap is approximately 0,5 mm wide and the second gap is a little bit wider, about 0,7 mm wide.
The parallel distance between spark gaps is 1 cm.
Spark gaps are using the same high voltage power supply.
Voltage is approximately 6 kV, 35 Hz impulse.
When the power supply is on, then only one spark gap (0,5 mm wide) is working, but when I put material (steel, glass, plastic…) between these two gaps, then both gaps are working! Why?
First of your video is not clear show diagram. And as per me when you r purring any material between them then it behave like capacitor with different permiability due to which it is shorting other way your inserting material work like a grid and as per grid potential spak gap is working
When the electrical fiend strength of the spark path is greater than the insulating capacity of the path, there is an insulation breakdown and a spark occurs. The "effective electrical length" of a spark gap is often difficult to judge. Placing things in the spark path may make the path longer (for insulators) or shorter (for conductors). Power pole insulators have the wavy bumps, increasing the surface path length. Another large variable is the shape of the electrodes. The local electrical field strength is related to the inverse of the radius of the point. If you place a thumbtack on the top of a Van de Graaff generator, the sparks between the ball and the base will stop as a corona discharge occurs at the sharp point. When a spark starts, the resistance of the spark path drops significantly. The air motion caused by spark-heated air makes a Jacob's Ladder spark rise until the spark's resistance is greater than the breakdown resistance of the starting spark-gap location.
To do a series of experiments to better understand sparks, you may want to control temperature, humidity, air motion, and spark terminal radius to minimize the variables in your experiment. I would suggest starting with spherical metal electrodes (greater than 1 cm diameter) mounted vertically (one above the other) inside a clear enclosure (for safety and for reduced air motion). Sparks are fun and complex. Have fun!
- Badges
- Science method