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PIRA Class: 5B30.70
Purpose:
Description:
A discharge tube is illuminated due to the electrostatic potential generated by the Van de Graaff. We have done this with the Tesla coil (large or hand-held) and with plasma globe but currently having difficulty with Van de Graaff.
See Demo: 5A50.30 Van de Graaff Generators for demo preparation and Van de Graaff operation
NOTES:
You can also use the hand-held Tesla coil or plasma globe instead of the large Tesla coil
Using the smaller straight fluorescent tube you can see it only lights up to where you are holding the tube. Your touch grounds the tube at that point. Note that Tesla coil and plasma globe both produce alternating electric fields so without grounding the tube (sitting on table or holding with insulating hot pad) there is no build up of charge at either end.
Equipment:
Fluorescent tube, Van de Graaff generator, grounding rod
Location:
Shelf 314, 352, large Tesla coil sits atop large Van de Graaff next to shelf 527
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