The Science of It: Making Sparks Fly with the Oudin Coil
The Science of It: Making Sparks Fly with the Oudin Coil
IT’S SPARK MONTH AT THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER, AND THE HANDS ON MUSEUM IS REALLY LIVING UP TO THIS THEME. SURE IS. AND NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AND WHETHER WE SEE IT OR NOT, THE FLOW OF ELECTRICITY IS ALL AROUND US. WESH 2’S MARQUISE MEDA BRINGS US THE SCIENCE OF IT. GOOD MORNING GUYS, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER. I’M MARQUISE MEDA JOINED BY ALYSSA. AND ALL THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, WE’RE HIGHLIGHTING SPARK MONTH HERE AT OSTC. AND TODAY WE’RE MAKING SPARKS FLY. WE MIGHT HAVE TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS A SECOND, BUT ALYSSA, WHAT DO WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US? SO THIS RIGHT HERE IS AN OIL. IT IS A REALLY COOL DEVICE. IT WAS INVENTED IN 1893 FOR ELECTROTHERAPY. AND LUCKILY WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE DOING ANY OF THAT TODAY. BUT IT’S PRETTY COOL BECAUSE HOW IT WORKS IS IT CREATES SOMETHING CALLED AN ALTERNATING CURRENT BY AMPLIFYING THE ELECTRICITY INSIDE OF IT USING TWO DIFFERENT COILS. SO VERY SIMILAR TO A TESLA COIL. IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN OUR TESLA COIL SHOW, NOW THIS IS HANDY BECAUSE IT CAN CREATE AN ELECTRIC CHARGE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO LIGHT SOMETHING UP FROM A DISTANCE. SO I DON’T HAVE TO HAVE, SAY, A LIGHT BULB PLUGGED IN. SO WHAT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE YOU DO IS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PICK UP THIS LIGHT BULB, WE ARE GOING TO LIGHT IT UP. THERE WE GO. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. NOW I’M GOING TO APPLY THE COIL TO THE END. WE’RE GOING TO GET THE WELL BEFORE WE GET THE LIGHTS. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DON’T REALLY SEE ANYTHING HAPPENING OFF THE END OF THE COIL. WHEN I JUST TURN IT ON. YEAH, WE CAN HEAR IT FOR SURE. EXACTLY. BUT IF WE GET THE LIGHTS THEN WE CAN SEE THAT I CAN. OH, THAT’S REALLY COOL. AND NOW YOU CAN SEE THE SPARKS COMING OUT OF THE END OF THE OUDIN COIL AND CHARGING UP THOSE LIGHT BULBS. SO THOSE ARE ELECTRONS FLOWING IN FROM THE COIL ITSELF, JUMPING ACROSS THE AIR AND TOWARDS THE LIGHT BULB. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT AS I GET MORE DISTANT, THE POWER GETS WEAKER UNTIL EVENTUALLY IT’S NOT REACHING IT AT ALL. BUT OF COURSE, I CAN COME BACK AND CHARGE UP THAT LIGHTBULB AGAIN. SO THE CLOSER YOU GET, THE BRIGHTER THE BULB, RIGHT? EXACTLY. I THINK IT’S JUST SO COOL TO SEE, LIKE THE ELECTRICITY FLOWING FROM THE COIL TO THE LIGHT BULB, EVEN THOUGH IT’S NOT TOUCHING IT. IT IS PRETTY COOL. IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE LIGHTNING. WELL, THAT’S PRETTY AWESOME. I GOT TO BE ZEUS FOR A QUICK WELL, YOU GOT TO BE ZEUS. AND HEY, YOU WANT TO USE IT? YEAH, GO FOR IT. ALRIGHTY. HERE WE GO. PROFESSIONALS HERE AT THE SCIENCE CENTER. SO GO FOR IT. THAT’S SO COOL. EASY PEASY. I CAN FEEL LIKE THE VIBRATION IN MY HAND TO. IT’S PRETTY POWERFUL. IT’S CAPABLE OF CREATING UP TO 115V OF ELECTRICITY. SO YOU DEFINITELY WOULDN’T WANT TO PUT YOUR FINGER IN FRONT OF THEIR. BUT IT IS PRETTY COOL. NOTE TO SELF KEEP MY FINGERS ON THE BACK END OF THIS EXACTLY. ALL RIGHT, LET’S GET THE LIGHTS ONE MORE TIME. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT’S OUR OUDIN COIL. WELL, I’M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS GOT TO SEE SPARKS FLY FIRSTHAND HERE AT THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER. AND OBVIOUSLY ALL THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. IT IS SPARK MONTH HERE. SO WE HAVE THIS AND A LOT MORE FOR YOU GUYS TO CHECK OUT. AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE ALL YOUR SHINING FACES AND LET ELECTRICITY FLY COMING UP FEBRUARY. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE OTHER STUFF THAT’S SPARKING UP AT THE ORLAND
The Science of It: Making Sparks Fly with the Oudin Coil
The Science of It: Making Sparks Fly with the Oudin Coil
The Science of It: Making Sparks Fly with the Oudin Coil
The Science of It: Making Sparks Fly with the Oudin Coil