40MHz Spark Gap Behavior

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: 40MHz Spark Gap Behavior
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 22:26:41 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

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From:  NTesla [SMTP:ntesla-at-ntesla.csd.sc.edu]
Sent:  Thursday, April 16, 1998 10:16 AM
To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject:  40MHz Spark Gap Behavior

>----------
>From:  Jeff Corr [SMTP:corr-at-enid-dot-com]
>Sent:  Wednesday, April 15, 1998 11:32 PM
>To:  Tesla List
>Subject:  Re: 40MHz Spark Gap Behavior
>
>I don't like your term energy and power here.  By my understanding, power
>is defined as voltage x current.
>
>By this, tesla coils can magnify the voltage, but can not magnify power, or
>energy.

Isn't it true that power is determined by Watt-seconds, or Joules? If I
look at  a discharge of anything, I'm going to see Watts-per-unit-time.
Therefore, if one Watt, in one second equals 1 Joule, then 1 Watt in 1/2
second =
1/0.5 = 2 Joules. 1 Watt in 1/4 second = 1/0.25 = 4 Joules, etc.

Look at it like a rifle bullet. Assume that a given amount of gunpowder
will produce a given amount of explosive force. Cause the gunpowder to burn
slowly, and all the force will be expended over a great amount of time, and
may never even build enough pressure to move the bullet to end of the rifle
barrel. On the other hand, the same amount of force, expended in a
microsecond, can propel the bullet so fast that simple air friction can
turn the slug molten in flight. Same amount of energy, same amount of
force, much different levels of power :)

And how about your capacitors? If you bleed the energy off slowly through a
resistance, you could literally power a DC motor for a while. Discharge the
same energy all at once, and you can explode a motor in an instant ;) Same
levels of energy, but greatly different amounts of power. :)

That's how I think of it, anyway ;)

Hope this helps,

Dan