Van De Graaff Generator
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[edit] Introduction
The Van De Graaff generator is a device that uses a combination of old toothbrush bristles, a band of silk and happy thoughts to generate up to 300 MegaVolts of static electricity. The device itself has no use or purpose other than to teach high school physics students about Van De Graaff generators, although it has been used in early sci-fi movies as an alien ray gun.
[edit] History
The Van De Graaff Generator was invented in 1794 by Robert J. Van de Graaff (1773-1809) and Martin Generator (1772-Present). The first Van De Graaff generator was only 51mm tall, and could charge up to only 20000 Volts. It was purpose built as an electric hand buzzer, and the first recorded use was on Alessandro Volta, who coincidentally invented electricity six years later.
The invention of Van De Graaff Generator would not have been possible without the previous work of Nikola Tesla and Alessandro Volta, so let's give those lads a big round of applause.
"I have harnessed the cosmic rays and caused them to operate a motive device." - Nikola Tesla; Brooklyn Eagle, July 10th, 1931. (No, seriously he actually said that)
In 1967, after ingesting mass quantities of halucinogenic drugs on a trip to San Francisco, Robert van de Graaff changed his name to Peter Hammill and began his career as a progressive-rock cult icon. In a 1977 radio interview, Johnny Rotten admitted to being a fan of his, and played "The Institute of Power Generation is Sparking", and other selections from his landmark 1975 album "Nadir's Big Electrostatic Capacitor". Rotten stated that his trademark hairstyle was the result of accidental contact with a Van de Graaff Generator.
[edit] Technology
The Van De Graaff Generator turns useful electricity into static electricity. Static electricity makes sparks and makes hole punch clippings jump about. This was presumed to be the work of faeries, until 1953, when the spelling was officially changed to fairy. The following excerpt is a verbatim transcript written by Martin Generator himself to explain the workings of the Van De Graaff Generator.
"These faeries are placed on the convayer belt by the comb that's connected to the mains. They are positive faeries, so they like people. They travel up the convayer belt, because they cannot fly very far. The gathering comb collects the faeries and leaves them on the metal dome. The faeries are so small that when you touch the dome they crawl inside your hands through the crevasses in your fingerprints. Because it is very hot inside the human body, the faeries get scared and try to leave. This is most easiestly done through the hair, and because they are all rushing to get out at the same time this makes your hair stand on end. When you discharge the dome with the metal ball, the spark is all the faeries exploding" - The Workings of the 'Generator-Van De Graaff' Machine; Martin Generator PhD, 1931
[edit] More Information
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