Re: question

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

Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br>

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "Peter Lawrence by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Peter.Lawrence-at-Sun-dot-com>
> 
> Trick question for the day...
> 
> Tesla coils work by "induction", the changing magnetic field around the
> secondary coil induces a voltage in it. The direction of the induced voltage
> is that of the coil, so the question is why don't the sparks also go around
> in the same circular pattern as the induced voltage.
> 
> Trickier question, why doesn't this happen when the toroid breaks out early.

The voltage profile along the secondary coil, and the charges
accumulated
there in increasing density along the height, cause the electric field
from the terminal to point more outwards than downwards. A plot of the
electric field around a "charged" coil would show this.

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz