High voltage transformer arcs to wood

Here you can see my transformer burning a piece of wood and arcing to it.
Outputs approx. 2800V and 0.15A

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• high
• voltage
• transformer
• arcs
• arcing
• burning
• wood
• spark
• buzz
• electricity
• fire

[Erzahler]

That's no regular electric arc, looks like a plasma arc.

[jmartis2]

so what's the difference?

[tonk184]

what size transformer do u want ?? ive got plenty

[jmartis2]

you mean neon transformers or others? Unless you are from europe, theres no sense in paying big shipping I think...

[crapper1]

i thought wood was a insulator most of the way not a cundutor

[jmartis2]

yes it is, but after you burn it with the heat of an arc it carbonizes and becomes conductive.

[zker666]

go carbon!

[noneofyourbusiness06]

What kind of transformers do you have? A high current (30+mA) NST or maybe a pole pig?

what is the cheapest you got?

[Darshenstein1]

an arc is just a sustained spark and even the smallest of sparks is a thin filament of plasma

if you dont believe me

wiki.(4hv).org/index.php/Spark­s_and_arcs

[juniortore]

all arcs of sparks are plasma?

[anon32016]

I see you too has observed the difference between voltage and amps when it comes to sparks. High amps=big hot plasma plume. High voltage=blue lightning.

[Erzahler]

The difference is that because of the high voltage used, extremely high temperatures result, causing the matter and gas around the arc to burn quite hotly. This creates the fourth state of matter known as plasma. Because it is plasma and not an electric arc, it can be maintained for a much longer time and can be drawn out quite far provided the plasma doesn't lose too much temperature. Some scientists believe that ball lightning is actually plasma.

[Dutch3DMaster]

And with higher voltages the rules around conducting and insulating materials become, well, a little different :P.