Tesla Coil in Education& Entertainment

One of Tesla's most significant innovations, the "Tesla coil," a high-frequency transformer that can produce high voltage at low current, was first shown in 1891. He constructed multiple iterations of his creation.

Entertainment& Education

In addition to serving as exhibits at science museums and electronics fairs, Tesla coils are utilized in science classes at universities and schools to illustrate the fundamentals of high-frequency electricity.

Tesla coils are a popular science fair project for students and are manufactured by a vast global community of hobbyists since they are easy for an amateur to make. "Coilers" are people who construct Tesla coils as a hobby. They exhibit their homemade Tesla coils and other high-voltage equipment during "coiling" conventions. For Kirlian photography, low-power Tesla coils are occasionally employed as a high-voltage source.

How it works

The primary coil is connected to the power supply. The capacitor absorbs the charge in the primary coil, which functions as a sponge. The primary coil is typically constructed of copper, a robust electrical conductor, to survive the enormous charge and current surges. The capacitor eventually accumulates enough charge to overcome the spark gap's air resistance. A magnetic field is produced as the current exits the capacitor and travels down the primary coil, much like when you squeeze out a damp sponge.

The enormous quantity of energy causes the magnetic field to rapidly collapse, which causes the secondary coil to produce an electric current. The voltage zinging through the air between the two coils produces sparks in the spark gap. The energy accumulates in the secondary coil and capacitor as it oscillates hundreds of times per second between the two coils. Eventually, the secondary capacitor's charge builds up to the point where it explodes in a stunning electric current burst.

Warning

High-frequency currents pass through the body at the surface and do not reach essential organs or nerves because of an electromagnetic phenomenon known as "electric shock." This is a false explanation for why Tesla coil enthusiasts have experienced no electric shock.

High voltage radio frequency (RF) discharges from a Tesla coil's output terminal present a unique risk not present in other high voltage devices because, unlike lower frequency AC or DC currents, they frequently do not produce the excruciating pain and muscle contraction associated with electric shock when they pass through the body. Currents above 10 to 20 kHz do not affect the neurological system. This is believed to be because for a nerve cell to depolarize and send an impulse, the applied voltage must force a minimum amount of ions over the cell's membrane. The alternating voltage reverses at radio frequencies before enough ions have had a half-cycle to penetrate the membrane. The risk is that experimenters believe the currents are innocuous because no pain is experienced. Educators and enthusiasts frequently touch the high-voltage terminal when exhibiting miniature Tesla coils or let the streamer arcs flow through their bodies to wow their audience.