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Re: Terry's Test - Two Manifestations of Charge



Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz" <acmdq@xxxxxxxxxx>

Tesla list wrote:

Original poster: "David Thomson" <dwt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Hi Antonio,
You give a nice analysis, but unfortunately the analysis begins
by guessing the very parameter I'm trying to objectively measure.
That doesn't help at all.

It's well known since the XVIII century that breakdown voltage is almost completely a function of the shape of the terminals. Pressure and temperature have important effect too, but in this case these conditions are practically the same in both gaps. More subtle effects are the potentials of the terminals to ground and surrounding objects (affects the electric field distribution), the polarity (the negative side breaks down first in a symmetrical gap), and level of ionizing radiation on the terminals (ultraviolet light and higher frequencies).

Is there a way to measure electrostatic potential in between
sparks?  We should see a potential rise just before the spark
breaks.  Maybe an oscilloscope can inductively pick up the
signals?

A capacitive divider is relatively easy to implement and calibrate.

What if three independent current loops are placed around each of
the topload, tube, and ground rods, like the connection for an
automobile timing light to a spark plug wire?  To standardize the
measurements, all three probe ends could pass though a 2" piece
of high voltage wire with the exact number of pickup loops
wrapped around the middle of each one.  Then measure the
potential difference between each pair of pickups.  That should
give us the relative potentials.  If we want the exact
potentials, the measurements can be calibrated to the known
topload and ground potentials.

Anything inductive would measure currents, not voltages.

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz