Re: BEGINNER PLANS FOR SCIENCE PROJECT PLEASE HELP

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

Original poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net> 

Ravi is an Eighth grader, and many Eighth graders have successfully and
safely built Tesla coils.  I would not discourage someone solely because of
age.  Ravi has asked his  questions in well formed sentences, does not
appear to be a raving incompetent (compared to folks who post with things
like: I just got this 20 kVA pole pig and I want to build my first tesla
coil with it, can you send me plans)...

As for the scientific usefulness or not... Hey, showmanship is important,
and you should work on a project that makes you excited.  I wouldn't expect
an Eighth grader to come up with new fundamental truths in physics,
regardless of the project.   Build something fun, and I think most all the
list members would agree that a TC is much more impressive and fun than a
VDG.

As for safety, teenagers and younger, can be perfectly safe with all sorts
of potentially hazardous things. Its a matter of good advice and
supervision. Contemplate woodshop, or the soapbox derby, etc. all of which
require doing stuff of a comparable hazard level to building a NST powered
TC.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 4:50 PM
Subject: RE: BEGINNER PLANS FOR SCIENCE PROJECT PLEASE HELP


 > Original poster: "Mccauley, Daniel H" <daniel.h.mccauley-at-lmco-dot-com>
 >
 >
 > In response to this email, a safer type project would be a Van de Graaf
 > generator.  There are lots of experiments
 > and scientific principles which can be nicely demonstrated with a VDG.
 >
 > Dan
 >