Ignite the spark

How does the exhibition work?

Press the button.A high electrical voltage is applied to the bars. You see a spark climbing upwards.

What is the science behind it?

This is a Jacob's ladder. If you press the button, you’ll put a high electrical voltage on the two rods. The rods are closest together at the bottom. This is where electrical discharge takes place, and a spark occurs!

Soon the spark turns into an electric arc between the two rods. Such an arc is extremely hot! The air heats up and warm air rises, which causes the arc to rise with it. The arc disappears at the top and a new spark appears.

Electrical discharge in lightning

A lightning bolt is a powerful spark between the earth and the clouds, or between the clouds themselves. Such a lightning flash heats up the air very quickly, sometimes to more than 10,000 °C.

Electrical discharge in cars

If you have a car that runs on petrol or LPG, a spark also occurs in your engine. This ensures that the mixture of fuel and air ignites. That’s how you can drive!

Electrical discharge in our Van de Graaff generator

You can do more with this device than making sparks. You can also use it to straighten your hair! Come and try it out during the demo in Technopolis.