Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!lll-winken!tekbspa!optilink!elliott
From: elliott@optilink.UUCP (Paul Elliott x225)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Zap, fry, and sizzle
Message-ID: <3175@optilink.UUCP>
Date: 26 Feb 90 17:00:39 GMT
References: <799@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> <1990Feb22.021543.10205@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA
Lines: 20

In article <1990Feb22.021543.10205@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>, levinesw@clutx.clarkson.edu (Steve W. Levine, ,,) writes:

> Resistors	: Up to 10K-ohms and under 1 watt are susceptible to 120VAC.
> 		Depending upon value, they will heat-up, discolor, smoke, and
> 		flame-out, sometimes with a pleasant 'Bzzzzzztttttt-Phuffff'
> 		sound.

One of my less dangerous diversions was to insert 8.2K, carbon film quarter
Watt resistors into the switched 120VAC wall outlets in the engineering lab
(I had a bag of them, see).  When the power was switched on in the morning
it would take a few minutes for the smell to be noticed, and the reaction was 
always amusing ("No, my board isn't smoking, it must be yours").

This was almost as much fun as wrapping the spools of solder with #22 tinned
copper wire, and watching folks try to solder with it ("OUCH!").

-- 
Paul M. Elliott      Optilink Corporation     (707) 795-9444
           {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!elliott
     "More human than human is our motto." -- Bladerunner