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From: lagasse@biomed.UUCP (Robert C. Lagasse)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Jacob's Ladder
Message-ID: <73@biomed.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-May-85 18:02:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: biomed.73
Posted: Thu May 30 18:02:49 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 31-May-85 23:53:12 EDT
Organization: Mass. Gen. Hosp. - Dept. Biomed. Engineering
Lines: 15


       I have tried building a Jacob's Ladder using a high voltage supply of
several thousand volts (using a flyback transformer from a T.V. set) to
produce an arc between two metal rods that are placed in in "v" shape but do
not touch at the bottom.  One of the problems I have been having is that the
high voltage arc wants to stay small in lenght.  That is, it does not want
to climb up the rods and lengthen and then break away unless I blow on the
arc with an airstream (really!).  What am I doing wrong?  How do they do it
in the movies?....
Any help greatly appreciated.




Bob Lagasse @ MGH Boston