Re: [TCML] Why so loud?

[Brandon Garretson <garretsontech@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is purely speculative but have thought about it on and off for quite
some time but never asked anyone myself. “What exactly are we hearing that
makes a Tesla coil so loud?”.

Im guessing it has to do with the speed at which the plasma generated rips
through the air. Anything that moves faster than 768 mph will create a
sonic boom, whether it’s a paper bag being popped or a bullwhip being
cracked. That loud snap is the speed of sound being exceeded and not the
sound of the object itself.


On Fri, Feb 8, 2013 at 12:59 PM, <mrapol@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> A while back I was demonstrating one of my modest bipolar coils at a Maker
> Faire, and I was asked why it was so loud. I gave what I imagine is the
> standard answer/reason, 'the same reason thunder is loud--' the electricity
> heats the air around it very rapidly, causing the air to expand, etc. The
> questioner bought it, but since then I've been thinking it over. Is this
> really true? Does a high frequency discharge really transmit that much heat
> to the air? The top terminals don't get hot on my coil. Is there a
> different reason why Tesla coil discharges are so loud?
>
> Just curious,
>
> Paul
>
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