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Step 6Explanation
So what exactly are we doing with all of this?
Water, like many things, is composed of vast quantities of positive and negative electric charges in perfect balance. As water drips down from the top, the slightly positively-charged water is attracted to the more negative can, and the slightly negative water is attracted to the more positive can.
This water-drop contraption utilizes Electrostatic Induction to generate a voltage difference between the two buckets. The charges then build up in the can connected to the bucket opposite of it - attracting even more charge. This results in a positive feedback loop.
When the voltage difference is high enough (usually a few thousand volts), a spark will jump between the buckets, discharging the voltage.
OK, but how does it start?
During dry conditions, everything near the generator ends up with a tiny electric charge just from being handled. It's the same concept that causes a shock after walking across carpet and touching a grounded object.
Once the water begins flowing, that natural charge is amplified over and over very quickly, resulting in a large imbalance that corrects itself as a spark between the buckets.
For more information about electrostatic induction, refer to these great books from Amazon.com
Electrostatics by Niels Jonassen
Creative Experiments in Electricity
Electrostatic Discharge
Water, like many things, is composed of vast quantities of positive and negative electric charges in perfect balance. As water drips down from the top, the slightly positively-charged water is attracted to the more negative can, and the slightly negative water is attracted to the more positive can.
This water-drop contraption utilizes Electrostatic Induction to generate a voltage difference between the two buckets. The charges then build up in the can connected to the bucket opposite of it - attracting even more charge. This results in a positive feedback loop.
When the voltage difference is high enough (usually a few thousand volts), a spark will jump between the buckets, discharging the voltage.
OK, but how does it start?
During dry conditions, everything near the generator ends up with a tiny electric charge just from being handled. It's the same concept that causes a shock after walking across carpet and touching a grounded object.
Once the water begins flowing, that natural charge is amplified over and over very quickly, resulting in a large imbalance that corrects itself as a spark between the buckets.
For more information about electrostatic induction, refer to these great books from Amazon.com
Electrostatics by Niels Jonassen
Creative Experiments in Electricity
Electrostatic Discharge
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