yeah I'm a noob to electronics...does it work to attach a capacitor to a battery to a switch...so when you flip the switch on it'll charge the capacitor? bonus! could i attach two wires to the capacitor so when it's charged i touch those wires on something conductive and it will spark?
2007-09-14 17:42:01 · 2 answers · asked by tatsumasax 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Sure. Both of those thngs will work. But if you're dealing with a low voltage like a battery, why bother with a switch? Just put the capacitor leads across the battery terminals and then touch them to something conductive.
Doug
2007-09-14 19:56:35 · answer #1 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but the best capacitors are those used for pulse applications. Disposable cameras have decent caps inside. Get a bunch of them connected in parallel to make a high energy storage device. For charging, you might want a resistor in series. Pick the resistor so that RxC = 2 seconds. Charge up, and zap away! Be careful though. Hot sparks can melt metal which can pop and hit you in the eye. Always wear goggles when doing mad scientist experiments.
2007-09-15 03:29:59 · answer #2 · answered by Robert T 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋