Introduction The inspiration for much of the technology used today comes from one creation by physicist, electrician, and inventor, Nikola Tesla. Tesla coils are objects that that can transfer energy through the air without connected circuits. The build up of energy leads to the rapid transfer of energy to a conductor some distance away. Tesla coils use circuits, waves, and many other physics concepts in order to function. To understand tesla coils, the researchers have to learn how the energy is transferred through the air leading to this phenomenon of wireless electricity. During their exploration of tesla coils, the scientists will explore a variety of equations to better understand how to control the energy used in the tesla coils and …show more content…
His interest in electricity brought him to the United States in 1884. Tesla had many ridiculous ideas that did not work out before he died in New York on January 7th, 1943, but Tesla is remembered for one of his astonishing inventions (Anderson, 2017). In 1891 Nikola Tesla invented the tesla coil. His invention was revolutionary, and the technology is still advanced to this day. The groundbreaking aspect of Tesla’s coil was that it could transmit electricity from one location to another, without using any wires at all. Tesla, a visionary, saw his invention as something that could completely replace the electric wires throughout the world (Dickerson, 2014). Nikola Tesla was thought to be crazy, but his invention showed the world the amazing possibilities of technology (Genesee News, 1901). Tesla said, “...The Creator, himself, had electrically designed this planet just for the purpose of enabling us to achieve wonders which, before my discovery, could not have been conceived by the wildest imagination" (Unaris, 2006). In the past, tesla coils have been used for x-rays, radios, and electric power transmitters (MagLab, 2014). Although the use of tesla coils is uncommon today, the technology used in the invention of the tesla coil is evident in many aspects of life today (Betz, 2017). In 1915, Nikola Tesla predicted this exact phenomenon when he said, “Very soon it will be possible for us to see …show more content…
A tesla coil is made up of a transformer on its base, a primary coil wrapped in a circle around it about 6 times (Bell, 2014), a capacitor also on the base, a secondary coil wrapped around the coil until it reaches the top, and a top load or toroid on the top. Each part of a tesla coil provides an essential element to the device’s functionality. All of the components must work together to create the desired effect of wireless electricity. The first thing that happens in a tesla coil is the transformer sends voltage into the primary coil. Next, the primary coil absorbs the charge from the transformer. After this occurs, the energy builds up in the capacitor, which is the place where the energy is stored, until there is no more room for the electricity. The electricity then leaks into a spark gap, which is a space in between the capacitor and the secondary coil, where the energy jumps to the secondary coil. (a person may see a spark gap in everyday life when they are plugging something in, or pulling something out of an outlet, and a spark shoots into the air). Once the energy moves into the secondary coil, it travels up towards the top load. The top load collects the energy, and it shoots the energy out in all directions. In order to control the transfer of energy, another conductor of electricity should be set up to direct the energy. All of these parts work in unison for the coils to