Van de Graaff
Safety Warnings
Warning: High Voltage Electrical Hazard
Warning: Electronic Device Protection
Purpose
Demonstrates electrostatic charge accumulation, high-voltage generation, and dielectric breakdown. On a dry day, the generator produces sparks up to ~11 cm (~275 kV), allowing quantitative voltage estimation from spark length.
Figure 1:
Van de Graaff generator (left) with grounded discharge sphere on tripod stand (right). The clip lead connects the discharge sphere to the ground plug on the generator base.
Figure 2:
Active discharge demonstration showing the electric spark bridging the air gap between spheres. On dry days, sparks reach approximately 11 cm, corresponding to roughly 275 kV potential difference.