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120,000 Volt Van De Graaff Generator

Step 8What's the voltage Kenneth?

What\
The breakdown voltage for dry air at sea level is commonly given as 3 million volts/meter. So for every centimeter of spark you have 30,000 volts. So far my longest recorded spark is 40mm or 120,000 volts.

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12 comments
Mar 10, 2009. 12:30 AMmujeebmurtaza95 says:
will this make your hair stand on the end or not....please tell, i need it 4 a science project!!
Jan 22, 2011. 4:00 PMixonstater says:
yes, it will
Dec 18, 2010. 5:03 PMsam971221 says:
Thanx.
Sooooo useful.
Dec 19, 2009. 6:15 AMkrissy551 says:
who is going to make this he/she said that it was 120,000 VOLT!!!!!!!!!!!
Dec 25, 2009. 1:00 PMJodex says:
You're not going to die if you'd touch it. It doesn't have much amperes. Amperes are the ones that kills you. Did you know that when you're petting your cat there's over 15 000 volts, but next to no amperes, just couple of micro amperes.
Feb 9, 2009. 9:02 AMking bob shaye the 3rd says:
if you complaining about it wasting electricity put a hand crank on it
Aug 15, 2008. 10:03 PMthe_burrito_master says:
would you say this thing actually generates electricity or dose it use more than it makes?
Oct 12, 2008. 6:13 AMpaper plane master says:
they shouldent be called genorators really all they are is converters
Oct 12, 2008. 9:55 AMthe_burrito_master says:
well the electricity gets used in the motor only so it dose "generate" static electricity.
Sep 6, 2008. 5:20 PMXellers says:
no machine of any kind can even be 100% efficent.
Sep 6, 2008. 3:11 PMXellers says:
According to the laws of thermodynamics, no energy transfer can be 100% efficent, so no, this doesn't create more energy than it uses. It acts more like an extremely high voltage static power source.
Sep 6, 2008. 3:16 PMthe_burrito_master says:
yeah I figured that out since i posted it after I started understanding more about voltage and amps and stuff
Sep 6, 2008. 3:17 PMthe_burrito_master says:
btw my dad wont let me build this because he thinks "I will blow myself up" XD ROFL
Feb 21, 2009. 5:00 PMknoxarama says:
my dad just says don't blow the house up while i'm doing it.
Sep 7, 2008. 7:37 AMXellers says:
This is actually perfectly safe because t's static electricity and the current is so low, but build a marx generator, and you're gone...
Dec 1, 2008. 3:23 PMrivetgeek says:
being static electricity doesnt make it safe. Lightening is static electricity. But yes, this project is safe because the current is like .1mA
Dec 7, 2008. 10:23 AMXellers says:
I know, and actually, its probably more like 0.0001 mA.
Sep 7, 2008. 1:58 PMthe_burrito_master says:
yep I saw one of those in action one it was like a thunder storm 20 ft away. it was in a metal cage and the guy running it told some kids to hold onto the cage and wave good by to there parents... by then I was getting all excited I was hoping to see some gore... then he turned it on and nothing happened. I was bummed out. ok I was joking about the gore and stuff but the did go and hold on to the cage.
Dec 11, 2008. 4:40 PMKryptonite says:
Was this at Questacon by any chance?
Dec 11, 2008. 6:18 PMthe_burrito_master says:
I have no idea where it was. I don't think it was there. it wsa a special for that week so apparently he moves around.
Dec 11, 2008. 6:54 PMKryptonite says:
Hmm, ok. Just wondering because then I wouldn't be the only Canberran on this site... Well, apart from my friend from school.

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Author:Tool Using Animal
I'm a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I am currently working on my Master's. Otherwise, I enjoy building things, designing the things I'm going ...
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