Development and testing of a Van de Graaff generator using locally available materials for demonstration lessons in high school physics

• Main Author: Pascua, Fredelina C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1978
• Subjects: Van de Graaff generator; Van de Graaff generator > Testing; Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/236
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study aims to construct and test a Van de Graaff generator out of locally available materials for demonstration lessons in the high school. Experiments were performed to determine : 1) the material that makes the best dome of a generator in order to produce the longest spark length under certain specific conditions 2) the material that makes the best dome to enable the generator to produce a maximum spark length with another conductor within a minimum build-up time under certain specific conditions 3) the most suitable operating conditions for the improvised generator to produce a maximum spark length with another conductor within a minimum build-up time, and 4) the approximate maximum voltage of the generator. The improvised Van de Graaff generator was also tested with some demonstration experiments in electrostatics. The t-test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in the samples given when subjected to different operating conditions at .05 and .01 levels of significance. It was concluded that the graphite-painted coconut shell proved to be the best material for the dome, vinylite plastic proved to be a lighter and better material for the belt, and plastics were better materials for the stand and pulley than wood. The actual working design of the improvised Van de Graaff generator was not complicated and did not need a skilled technician to construct it. Also, the cost of the improvised Van de Graaff generator was P 63.15 (circa 1977), which was relatively inexpensive compared to an imported one. The average length in centimeter of the spark produced by the Van de Graaff generator with another conductor when operated under certain specific conditions was about 4 centimeters. The average build-up time in seconds for the generator to produce a maximum spark length with another conductor under certain specific conditions was about 35 seconds. This study has shown that an improvised Van de Graaff generator can be constructed out of locally available materials at a minimal cost and has proven to work well for some demonstration experiments in electrostatics.