Various Tesla book cover images

Nikola Tesla Books

Books written by or about Nikola Tesla

Results:

Turns Spark to body of experimenter Spark to body of exp. with small capacity attached to end of wire
495 3/8" much less
470 7/16" ”
460 7/16+1/64 ”
450 7/16+1/32 ”
440 9/16 1/2"
435 9/16 1/2"
430 almost 11/16" 1/2"
425 3/4" 1/2"
420 3/4" full 1/2"
415 7/8" 1/2"
410 1" 9/16"
405 1 3/16" 5/8"

With 405 turns the limit was nearly approached. With 400 turns the spark without capacity was 1 1/4" and with tinfoil on wire 5/8"; with 395 turns the former was 1 1/4" the latter 5/8" and with 390 the same also, with 385 practically the same. The system still needed a small capacity for when a hand was held at a distance of about a foot a spark of 1 3/8" could be obtained.

These data give wave length.

Colorado Springs

Sept. 8, 1899

In some previous experiments coils were used wound on a drum 10" diam. but the inductances were not measured as the changes were made too often. The following data of a new coil built for similar purposes will be useful in connection with the preceding experiments.

The coil was wound on a new drum 10 5/16" diam. and 41 1/4" length. There were 550 turns of No. 18 wax-covered wire.

182

Glossary

Lowercase tau - an irrational constant defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius, equal to the radian measure of a full turn; approximately 6.283185307 (equal to 2π, or twice the value of π).
A natural rubber material obtained from Palaquium trees, native to South-east Asia. Gutta-percha made possible practical submarine telegraph cables because it was both waterproof and resistant to seawater as well as being thermoplastic. Gutta-percha's use as an electrical insulator was first suggested by Michael Faraday.
The Habirshaw Electric Cable Company, founded in 1886 by William M. Habirshaw in New York City, New York.
The Brown & Sharpe (B & S) Gauge, also known as the American Wire Gauge (AWG), is the American standard for making/ordering metal sheet and wire sizes.
A traditional general-purpose dry cell battery. Invented by the French engineer Georges Leclanché in 1866.
Refers to Manitou Springs, a small town just six miles west of Colorado Springs, and during Tesla's time there, producer of world-renown bottled water from its natural springs.
A French mineral water bottler.
Lowercase delta letter - used to denote: A change in the value of a variable in calculus. A functional derivative in functional calculus. An auxiliary function in calculus, used to rigorously define the limit or continuity of a given function.
America's oldest existing independent manufacturer of wire and cable, founded in 1878.
Lowercase lambda letter which, in physics and engineering, normally represents wavelength.
The lowercase omega letter, which represents angular velocity in physics.