Nikola Tesla

Long ago, in the remotest areas of Northeast Philadelphia, a young 16 year old struggled to to construct the best science project his school had ever seen. No wimpy solar cell, electric motor project or bean sprout experiment, but something that would really knock their socks off. I decided to build a Tesla coil! I wound miles of wire and used hundreds of feet of aluminum foil as capacitors and after many shocks and short circuits, I found I could build the coil from two switches and two automotive ignition parts, one trip to the auto parts store and a Radio Shack and I had everything I needed. No itsy, bitsy semi-conductors here. No soldering and it's completely portable (operates from 6V. "Lantern" cells). Yes, 25,000 volts flying through the air in a continous arc. Not much doubt about it, it was a winner from the start.

Now, I wondered what I could do with this high voltage machine. I knew that electron beams would travel through a near vacuum striking the few remaining air molecules, exiciting them to a higher energy state and cause them to fluoresce. I had seen examples of Crooke's Tube and Roentgen Ray (X-Ray) apparatus, but all required a near perfect vacuum. How could I achieve a near perfect vacuum without a vacuum pump? Well, it finally dawned on me. Actually, it was so simple I couldn't believe it. Rushing out, I got some 1/2" clear plastic tubing and 2 rubber stoppers. Flying home, I put the tube together in less than 10 minutes, hooked it up to the Tesla Coil and a strangely blue eerie glow was dancing through the tube and I could plainly see the Faraday dark space at the cathode.

As if the Tesla Coil wasn't enough, coupled with the cathode ray tube it was a sure science project winner.

Years later, I found it would power a 2 mw Helium-Neon Laser and a plasma globe.

Wireless transmission of energy? In a darkened room hold a fluorescent light about 3" from the arcing terminals and it will begin to light without being connected.

These projects are not only for school science projects, but for educators or anybody with an inquiring and scientific mind. It is a real attention getter at any physics class and can be used to charge high voltage capacitors, Leyden jars and dozens of other fascinating experiments.

1. Tesla Coil
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     This project discharges a 25,000 Volt continuous, unbroken arc across two electrodes and can be heard in an entire auditorium . It uses an electromagnet, an automotive ignition coil, a set of automotive ignition points, available at any auto parts store and can be wired up easily in a half an hour (no coil winding necessary). No soldering of teeny little semiconductors and completely portable. Will power dozens of fascinating high voltage experiments, including Leyden Jars, electrostatic and other projects etc. Will power the below cathode ray tube, sending electron beams through a vacuum tube. Operates on 12 V. DC.
   
   
2. Cathode Ray Tube - Powered by the Tesla Coil
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     The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube, produced without a vacuum pump, and it's made from only a 1/2" dia. clear acrylic tubing and two rubber stoppers and 2 household pins. It sends an eerie blue beam dancing between the two electrodes. You can plainly see the Faraday Dark Space at the cathode end. Place magnets on the side of the tube and the beam will bend ! This project only costs $2-3 and has only three main parts. You should be able to make this in under a half an hour.
   
   
3. Helium-Neon Laser - Powered by the Tesla Coil
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     Laser radiation is produced when a gas discharge tube is highly evacuated and then filled with gas, placed between two mirrors forming a resonant optical cavity. When the gas is excited via a high voltage discharge and due to the amplifying action of the cavity and mirrors, coherent light (laser) occurs.

     The laser is powered by the above Tesla Coil and the tube itself is available from suppliers listed in the plans/instructions. A 2 mw Helium/Neon Laser tube runs about $35. The laser is of the type that supermarket checkout lanes use and is not hazardous.

     Over the last few decades, few of the amazing scientific developments that have have inspired more fascination than that of the laser . Easy and inexpensive, you can enter into the amazing, fascinating world of lasers with almost limitless experiments.

   
   
4. Plasma Globe - Powered by the Tesla Coil
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     Fascinating display of electrical energy. A plasma is sometimes described as a "fourth sate of matter" as it consists of ions only, not molecules as in ordinary matter. The high voltage breaks down the inert gas Argon and what we see is bottled lightning .

     All we need for this project is a 60 or so watt clear light bulb (same as any other light bulb, but clear), a light bulb socket and a piece of bent wire coat hanger. Costs about $5 to make. All you have to do is screw down the socket and form the coat hanger electrode and only two connections to the Tesla Coil.

   
   

Completed Project - About 12"W x 14L" x 6" High 25,000 V. Continous Electrical Arc

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• Great Set of Plans. Thanks!!
• Very cool! This looks like a fun little project - Thanks!
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• An excellent project that is clearly written and easy to build. Recommended!
• Great plans and thoroughly explained. Should work perfectly.
• recommended for the hobbiest
• great science project, quick response
• Thanks for the plans!
• Great plans, thanks, look forward to building it
• Plans are concise & easy to follow! Fast shipping - a trusted seller for sure!
• Excellent plans, fast shipping.
• Your plans are quite detailed and well written -- & I'm quite pleased ! Thanks!
• Clear & easy to follow instructions on building a telsa coil science project.
• Really cool projects! Very complete instructions; Highly recommend
• zzzzap! My son's science project will be extra special this year. Thanks!
• Nice plans for making a low pressure nitrogen tube without a vac pump! Will try!

Some Interesting Links:
• Classic Tesla Coil Design
• Inside the Tesla Lab
• Wikipedia Tesla Coil
• S.C. Institute for Partical Physics

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Copyright 2008