Re: Rotary gap safety - RE: spark gap muffler?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Tesla729-at-cs-dot-com>

In a message dated 5/26/01 12:50:12 PM Central Daylight Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes: 


>
> Great chart Matt, but if we evaluate 128 mph, it is only about 1/7 
> the speed of a normal bullet, and my 30-30 lead bullet weighs close 
> to what a 3/8" X 1" tungsten electrode would. :) 



Hi all, 

Which means that at a given mass, it would only have about 1/50 
of the available kinetic energy as the 30-30 bullet. The kinetic ener- 
gy of a given mass is directly proportional to the square of its veloci- 
ty. Of course, tungsten would have more sectional density than the 
lead of a bullet, since lead's specific gravity is 11.3 and tungsten's 
is a whopping 19.3 (the same as gold). But at only about 1/7 of the 
velocity of typical ballastic levels, I don't think the penetration factor 
would terribly significant. OTH, I sure wouldn't want to be in the 
path of a 125 mph, 1/4 to 1/3 oz. piece of tungsten <:-0 It could de- 
finitely still mame or possibly kill! 

Be safe, 
David Rieben