Another twist on measuring potentials across the electrodes of a Tesla coil:
A student last year wanted to do the measurement in order to determine a
relation between "breakdown voltage" and humidity. Obviously a direct,
safe voltage measurement was not possible. SO ... we used a function
generator set at 60 Hz, ~ 5 V RMS sine output tao drive the high-voltage
transformer on the primary, and measured the voltage across the "spark gap"
with an ordinary digital voltmeter. This was extrapolated up to normal
wall outlet values.
George Spagna **********************************************
Department of Physics * *
Randolph-Macon College * V *
P.O. Box 5005 * --> . <-- *
Ashland, VA 23005-5505 * ^ *
* *
phone: (804) 752-7344 * Universe before Big Bang *
FAX: (804) 752-4724 * (not to scale) *
e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu ********************************************** http://www.rmc.edu/~gspagna/gspagna.html