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How Van de Graaff Generators Work podcast artwork

PODCAST · science

How Van de Graaff Generators Work

This podcast is drawn from the "Virtual Lab" of WeCanFigureThisOut.org. This Virtual Lab uses 3D virtual reality animations to explain electronics, microelectronics and nanotechnology. This podcast explains how Van de Graaff generators work by using a motor to separate charges.

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  1. 16

    Do you know how Van de Graaff generators work? Let's turn it on.

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  2. 15

    Turn it off and the charge stays on the dome.

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  3. 14

    To understand what is going on, let's look inside.

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  4. 13

    There is only a motor, powering a pulley, connected to a belt, almost touched by a copper comb.

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  5. 12

    The pulley is made of a special plastic. Let's fade away all but a few (exaggerated) plastic atoms.

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  6. 11

    The pulley's plastic atoms will transfer electrons to the inside of the belt (it's just "static electricity").

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  7. 10

    The inside of the belt becomes more and more negative.

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  8. 9

    But now let's go back and figure out what the bottom copper comb does.

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  9. 8

    Electrons jump from the comb trying to reach the increasingly positive pulley.

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  10. 7

    But these electrons cannot penetrate the belt and are carried away.

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  11. 6

    This is an electron's worst nightmare as both sides of the belt are now negative!

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  12. 5

    But as they reach the top, the outer electrons can jump onto a second comb ...

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  13. 4

    and then spread out on the metal dome.

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  14. 3

    So the Van de Graaff uses the motor's work pushing electrons upward to build up "electrostatic energy."

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  15. 2

    This podcast is drawn from the Virtual Lab presentations of WeCanFigureThisOut.org. The copyrighted material of this site was developed under funding from National Science Foundation CCLI, NIRT, MRSEC and NUE programs. This project is led by John C. Bean

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  16. 1

    All of the scenes together

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

This podcast is drawn from the "Virtual Lab" of WeCanFigureThisOut.org. This Virtual Lab uses 3D virtual reality animations to explain electronics, microelectronics and nanotechnology. This podcast explains how Van de Graaff generators work by using a motor to separate charges.

HOSTED BY

John C. Bean - WeCanFigureThisOut.org

CATEGORIES

science technology

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does How Van de Graaff Generators Work have?

How Van de Graaff Generators Work currently has 16 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is How Van de Graaff Generators Work about?

This podcast is drawn from the "Virtual Lab" of WeCanFigureThisOut.org. This Virtual Lab uses 3D virtual reality animations to explain electronics, microelectronics and nanotechnology. This podcast explains how Van de Graaff generators work by using a motor to separate charges.

How often does How Van de Graaff Generators Work release new episodes?

How Van de Graaff Generators Work has 16 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to How Van de Graaff Generators Work?

You can listen to How Van de Graaff Generators Work on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts How Van de Graaff Generators Work?

How Van de Graaff Generators Work is created and hosted by John C. Bean - WeCanFigureThisOut.org.
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