Jacob's Ladder: 500kV Switch Opening

[juggalorocker420]

HOLY FUCK I WANNA SEE THAT SHIT IN PERSON!

[mrgribble]

if electricity follows the path of least resistance why does it go up in the air like that?

[tube71000]

@mrgribble That's cause the electricity what travels trought the air heats air into plasma and electricity follows the "plasma path" and cause plasma is super-hot it rises up into air.

...or something like that

[deeppurple28]

Take that Jebus!

[bladesman123]

Does there have to be moisture in the air for that to happen?

[Civerknight]

@bladesman123 No, Dielectric breakdown occurs when a charge buildup exceeds the electrical limit or dielectric strength of a material, in this case the air, it doesnt have to be moisture in the air, as you can see that only happened in 1 phase and according to the description of the video it happened in the desert.

[TheJackwack12]

That's chuck norris's jacobs ladder

[AbneyParkFan]

I would pee if I saw that

[exsterenpro]

Can't stop raping the replay button...

[listenthinkspeak]

Filthiest dubstep drop ever.

[karuna1910]

thats cool...

[TheError404]

Photonicinduction's circuit breaker.

[EVAUnit4A]

0:08 "Fuck-!"

[RollyDay5]

i wonder if they play rock-scissors-bomb to see who goes to check it ?

[12122po]

Awsome

[LOPEZdJUNGLIST]

the shit you just cant fuck with

[R5H4D0W]

hmm... well, that'll teach the linemen there to double check all three phases before opening that switch, looks like they forgot to check one of them. 

[digler99]

how do they power the motors that move the arm ? Is it just a latch that lets go of a spring ? Is it a cable/pulley with a plastic cable where the motor is down below ? It seems like you couldn't possibly use an electric motor anywhere near that thing lest the 500kv arc inside it !

[R5H4D0W]

@digler99 v=ytch_Z3GRLU

looks like there might be winches, I'm guessing using nonconductive material

[rob16248]

Wow WTF was that! Can you write your own name with that arc? Can we use it to zap Alan Carr?

[thinkpad411]

So... arcing like this means there is enough EMF to overcome the massive amount of resistance that air has? Instead of not flowing at all?

[100maanko]

wow!

[abcRebel]

a jacobs latter consists of several prongs of conductors going up, this is simply electricity trying to flow when there is no conductor physically there.

[19FD89]

holy shit!

[xfujikix]

HAARP ???

[quasar778]

thats caused by the kilotechna dissipation of bipolar lithium pyrotechniques

[Kyuubi1161]

@quasar778 a what what what? o.O

[punchmaster123]

i'd shit my pants if i saw that

[crookedfingaz1]

some shit is scary

[TheRobertgreenwood]

that looks fake (but yet again i know nothing about electricity)

[TheSyncopator]

@TheRobertgreenwood No this is definitely real.  This is the same as when you pull the plug for the vacuum out before turning it off and you get that little spark. The spark is an electrical arc like seen in the video just on a smaller scale.

[TheDarkestpoltergeis]

even this sounds better than justin bieber

[hairymess]

sorry but.... man you gotta love that noise!

[eastbayfosho]

0:08 WOAH! Lol.

[kdkinen]

@Greenjay437

holy shit i laughed at that

& cool breaker, i need one of those for my Tesla stuff :P

[burgernfrysyo]

Stick your tongue on it

[taejamhaha]

The biggest electric arc I saw in my life

SOOOOO FRIGHTENING!!!

[dalekthey]

Cave Johnson, we're done here.

[Loldog1000]

thats fucking awesome

[XTheOneAndOnlyX54321]

infamous ftw

[time4back]

FAKE 

[thinkpad411]

Wow, electricity is amazing.

[LucaTurilli89]

Why is it called Jacob's Ladder?

[NoMoreVanilla]

@LucaTurilli89 The name originally comes from a story in Genesis 28:10-19. An actual device known as a "Jacob's Ladder" consists of two vertical wires with an electric arc between them. The heat from the arc causes the air to rise, carrying the arc to the top of the wires. When it reaches the top, the arc breaks and a new one forms at the bottom. The continuously-ascending arcs are suggestive of the angels on the ladder to heaven in Jacob's dream.

[LucaTurilli89]

@NoMoreVanilla thanks a lot dude! :) But why is hot air more conductive? Doesn't it contain lower humidity? Also if current is travelling from - to + and Earth is - (negative) why some lightnings are from the clouds to the earth?

[NoMoreVanilla]

@LucaTurilli89 The arc initially forms at the smallest part of the gap, where the field is most intense. Once an ionized path is formed through the air, it is highly conductive and very hot. The heat carries the ionized air upward, stretching the arc. In this video, you can also see the path become twisted by the turbulence of the rising air. Humidity is only a factor in the initial breakdown of the air; once the arc forms, it is conductive because of all the ripped up ions and electrons.

[lolburgersaretastey]

mum.... i know what i want for christmas

[rojblake82]

This electric buzzing, sounds like a lightsaber from Star Wars.

[Deliquent2006]

did he say "FUCK!!" at the end?

[badboy4202]

@Deliquent2006 he said WHOOO or WOW

[zaq4267]

So it is the same as touching a 9v battery to your tongue?

lol

[punkid41]

the best insulator of electricity is not rubber. not wood. its space. well that doesnt apply in this situation!

[Danshak555]

Is it normal for switches to arc like that?

[fartinthewind13]

When I change my RC plane battery, same thing happens!

[TheMathieu151]

fuck yeah

[BerkerIzmir35TR]

What is 500kv mean? 500.0000 or 500.000.000

[tenuke]

@BerkerIzmir35TR

Neither. k=kilo=1000. 500k = 500*1000 = 500.000

[mathscirocks]

@BerkerIzmir35TR 500,000 volts

[erikoui]

Don't taze me bro!

[twistedyogert]

Chuck Norris's bug zapper

[weaver2109]

Got plasma?

[rlnilson]

Badass nerdgasm.

[gnmris890617]

fake

[Wesley683]

@gnmris890617 nope

[dinostrawss]

the portal closed!

[JoshL117]

Great Scott, Marty, 1.21 Jigawatts!

[pootisoftime]

@JoshL117 QUICK SOMEONE GET A CAR!

[masterkrisz]

@JoshL117 what the hell is a Jigawatts? LOL

[mrlichenstein]

@masterkrisz you ever see the movie Back to the Future? that's where it's from

[rich1051414]

@masterkrisz the guy who played doc pronounced gigawatt incorrectly, according to the script(in back to the future)

[operationcwaI789789]

This video is incomplete without the maniacal "MUAHAHAHAHA" laugh in the background

[TehSalomon]

The dude in the end was like "WHA~?!!?"

[TwigsterAndFire]

can an electrian or someone who knows this stuff explain to my why they would design this, dose it have a purpous or is it just for show ? ( serious question )

[Dunthyon]

@TwigsterAndFire I'm sure that it's meant to switch currents from one area to the next, after they have the required amount of current to one side, they switch it to the other, and the process repeats.

[TheVessapaperimuumio]

@Dunthyon

This device is simply a power switch to turn electricity on and off. It's kind of huge just because a voltage of 500kV needs a large gap between the contacts to insulate. As seen in the video.

[TheVessapaperimuumio]

@TwigsterAndFire

Neither. This just naturally happens when power is turned off.

[MrNipperthegreat]

@TwigsterAndFire Ok this is to isolate a work area for the safety of the crews that come out and work on the lines and are safety feature if there is a line knocked down or a motor vehicle crashes into a pole somewhere.

[Marine052191]

Holy fuck! O_O I hate that noise! Its unbearable when I use the arch welder. Makes my hair stand up.

[FrozenFuse]

W T F ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!

[hopper727rs]

@MrZxantraxx & Why would you put a small child sitting criss-cross apple sauce in the middle of your sentence?

[smokingajayble]

@MrZxantraxx Its what your pee pee stick squirts when it feels good

[smokingajayble]

@MrZxantraxx do u know what load means?

[smokingajayble]

@MrZxantraxx HAHA u said load

[hopper727rs]

@MrZxantraxx Lol...You said load again. Twice.

[Banzay27]

That's awesome, even freaky. Folks there treated it as nothing out of the ordinary. It expresses, in a visual sense, our meddling with electricity and leaves me wondering about the harm to our atmosphere - in regards to our own health - what with all the high tension power cables and all radio antennas of every kind irradiating in all directions.

Lol at the last few comments. Rather WTF-esque.

[TheVessapaperimuumio]

@Banzay27

As harm for atmosphere goes, I believe this sort of thing is nothing compared to thunderstorms going on all the time.

[rorymacneill09]

@MrZxantraxx Why are you harassing me?

[iceskull11]

chuck norris's taser

[trew9710]

i think it spelled elvis 0:02

[TheIntenseTrio]

Looks like something straight out of InFamous. I swear i could hear Cole rejoicing over his new power right near the end of the video.

[elliot424]

@MrZxantraxx cats piss on gravel

[heathirving]

@MrZxantraxx

it was only "low" reactor currents of about 100 amp

but at that voltage,zappo

[sitwosaints]

Wah! Good spark; but a jacobs ladder is continuous, no? Lots of separate ionisation tracks going upward at intervals...as Frankenstein. Sorry didn't read anyone else's.

[geekboy19]

This....this is Chuck Norris' bug zapper.

[lokeycmos]

that is F-----g insaine!!!

[joaocareca87]

k paneleirice....



[misterrandompancake]

i saw a middle finger

[Zorforlar]

DAMN!

[Armen0500]

is this where officers charge their tasers?

[ThAGaMeR1000]

Ricktophin: THA PoWEr!!!!

[platinum29ROBLOX]

ITS.... ITS ALIVE!

[armanflint]

That was awesome!!!

[mikerotoloni]

At the end some dude was going to say, help help my leg!

[MATUXAZ]

When Chuck Norris changes his watch battery, same thing happens...

[Cortex20006]

@MATUXAZ Quit with the Chuck norris!

[Cortex20006]

@MATUXAZ Quit with the Chuck norris! You should never put a Joke about him

[MATUXAZ]

@Cortex20006 i totally agree with you: it's annoying.

[DISRUPTOR40]

@MATUXAZ ha ha ha ha good one !!!!

[MATUXAZ]

@DISRUPTOR40 thanks, :D

[tuckerbell247]

@MATUXAZ fuck off! chuck Norris jokes are old.

[jaybeebee14]

@tuckerbell247

Fuck off! Chuck Norris jokes are funny as hell!!

[MATUXAZ]

@tuckerbell247 no! fuck off you! My comment is old!!!

[shyomama]

@MATUXAZ hi

[coatduck]

@MATUXAZ chuck noris doesn't need a watch, his liver works as an atomic clock. and even if he wore one for show, it could be powered by the awesome he is exuding

[MATUXAZ]

@coatduck he has got special watch (superwatch) with unlimited number of functions, lol

[coatduck]

@MATUXAZ chuck noris HIMSELF has an infinate number of functions, and therefore doesn't need one.

[Octavice]

@MATUXAZ HAHAHA :D

[Svenironhelm]

Wow!!!



[5gun1]

Oh my Allah ! :O

[yirel1]

JAJAJA HABRIERON EL INTERRPTOR CON KARGA...........ANTES SE TIENE Q HABRIR EL INTERRUPTOR SF6...JAJAJAJA

[Piksel4olol]

It's a portal to another dimension!

[shelteringshade]

@Piksel4olol the tangent universe..

[ottotr]

Tesla would be proud of this.

[1Akakius]

that looked to be about 1.21 gigawatts

[timothythegreat1]

@1Akakius i think im the only one who really understands that joke lol

[wotcherme]

@timothythegreat1 Please, share :P

[timothythegreat1]

@wotcherme watch the 'back to the future' movies

[ghk913]

well theres your problem!

[kewlarrow]

Dr. Emmett Brown ....."Great Scott!!!!!"

[nurafiz88]

dasyat gle wat ni

[QasimAnwar135]

is this fake?

[Spikeelsucko]

@QasimAnwar135 no, it's not terribly common but it's definitely real.

[strokes]

Cool

[beefcassarole96]

When did Nikola Tesla come back from the dead

[navigatorate]

pika pika chuuuuu

[TakingAndChanging]

OMG!!! ;0

[MrChimochay]

quick, the wormhole is closing!

[Mamedense]

cool

[zodoize]

Who can dislike this

[Yoshi33305]

i have never seen that before!!!

[T1000LTU]

Cool, this is primary thing on ALL overrunity systems, thanks to Tesla, Faraday and others. 1mm length lightning spike ~= 1kV (who did not know), so 500kV = 50 cm max and here you witness over 10 meters lightning length! Anyone wants Nobel nomination explaining that thing in physics theory with formulas? :)

[dandypajamas]

I'd have had one hand on the camera the other covering my balls with a lead shield :S

[thenicedudejay]

nice electric fireworks !

[FrozenHaxor2]

this isnt jacob's ladder

[plasm2]

i wonder how cooked a bird would be if it was sitting on tht when it went off.

[cchanderson]

@MrZxantraxx My answer was to the question of...Wtf does it do? Whats the point of "switch" that causes the huge arc? The practical point of actually doing it? Thanks

Sometimes you just go with what people know...like trying to explain to my dad why he can't run a toaster and a microwave on 14/2 even though he has a 20 amp fire hazard installed. I tell him your drawing to many amps for the size wire and he tells my mom I said there is too much voltage in the lines.

[ericsherman37]

@cchanderson That's what overcurrent protection devices are for. So when dumbasses plug in 3 microwaves and a toaster and a space heater on the same circuit, the breaker will trip and thus prevent the wire from overheating.

[Satchmoeddie]

@ericsherman37 This is when super dumb asses go buy a bigger breaker. I have seen them do is more than once. A quote from some moron at a hardware store: " i added a bedroom and tapped off the old bedroom, now my breaker keeps tripping so I want a 30 amp breaker. The 20 won't work." The only more dangerous thing I ever saw in a home was copper to aluminum wires joined with regular wire nuts. That guy avoided a fire by the skin of his teeth. The connections burned but did not ignite the house.

[AussieTrex]

I wonder if Damian Tarry had something to do with this?

[Kennyman8908]

@AussieTrex hahahhahahahahahhaahhahaha



[dsb77]

WOW

[Craftsteen117]

just put some electrical tape on that

[MyWillyboi]

@Craftsteen117 yeah duct tape or electrical fix all

[CaliKushWC]

@Craftsteen117 hahah that'll do the job!

[xem007wt]

did anybody success passing the electric wire...?

[NgonHua]

Image the math behind the physics of this.

[rapunserl]

If anybody out there wants to create a small electrial arc, you would need about 24v of battery power & an inductor, or choke. Connect one end of the battery to one side of the choke, Then gently touch the other terminal of the battery to the other terminal of the choke sliding it away slowly. You will be amazed. Dont do it for long though, as you will find the terminal start to glow red, & burn out the soldered connection. Let me know if it worked. Thnx

[noodledrummin1]

Damn, Jacob must have had quite a sense of humor.

[narucy56]

Hoooooooooooooo! great!

[demonsparkx]

I dont get it. Wtf does it do? Whats the point of "switch" that causes the huge arc? The practicall point of actually doing it? Thanks

[cchanderson]

@demonsparkx they disconnected the high tension power lines you see all over the place. The voltage was jumping across trying to find ground. They do this to perform maintenance.

[Anthonyk312]

F*cking Electric Arcs, how do they work?

[meawk]

@Anthonyk312 hahahahahha few will get the reference

[Anthonyk312]

@meawk no im sure many people get the reference. 

[deluxedookie]

i want to touch it :)

[Beholdthesharktopus]

@deluxedookie Try peeing on it.

[MrToiletclogger]

1.21 GIGAWATTS!

[mdsoultrain]

"Woo!"

[Ranie9393]

Someone explain to me this wizardry

[rapunserl]

@Ranie9393 I did 2 days ago

[xDarkboy350x]

i think somebody divided by zero

[drufuss2006]

That's how I dance in the nighttime. It's electric.

[rapunserl]

The arc shield should have stopped the runaway ionisation of the atmosphere. The superheated plasma once in place is difficult to stop. The arc cooling system did not work. It also appeared to me that last disconnect did not pull away at the same time as the other two, thereby giving an unbalanced load situation. That could have contributed to the outcome.

[rapunserl]

@Anthonyk312 If you mean do they have a function, yes they certainly do. In arc welding, the production of certain gases, even the latest ion polarisation units to remove in the atmosphere molecules of pollutant, wihout the arc even materialising. In the aforesaid example, that particular arc was of no use whatsoever, it was merely generated by a malfunction of the arc shield not functioning correctly. The arc was created by a very high pressure differential & the aversion of current to flow.

[Anthonyk312]

@rapunserl it was a joke.