Various Tesla book cover images

Nikola Tesla Books

Books written by or about Nikola Tesla

to the fact that it increases with the energy stored in simple proportion, and the energy again in proportion to the square of the difference of pressure between each two adjacent turns, the difference of pressure is simply proportionate to the length. Now the length of one turn on square coil is 4x11' 1/4" = 4 x 132.5" = 530". The coil of 344 turns being wound on a drum 14" diam., the length of each of its turns is 3.1416 x 14" = 44" nearly. The “ideal” capacity of the square coil will therefore be, considering also turns, $! {14 \over 344} $! x $! {\left({530 \over 44}\right)^{2}} $! x ideal cap. of coil 344 turns = $! {\left({265 \over 22}\right)^{2}} $! x $! {14 \over 344} $! x 34.6 = 145.1 x 14 = 203.14 cm. Hence total “ideal” capacity will be the sum of these, that is approximately 238 cm. This value obtained at a given height above ground being known, we can now calculate the increments of capacity, or decrements of same as the coil is approached to or removed from the ground and it ought to be found that these increments or decrements are proportionate to the distances of coil from ground in the successive positions of the coil. I think that it is unnecessary to go through the trouble at present because it is very probably so.

Note: Such proportionality would be destroyed if there would be any appreciable currents generated in the ground.

Colorado Springs

Dec. 10, 1899

Estimate of turns of “Extra coil” to be used with the structure of iron pipes as capacity on free terminal.

In a previous test resonance was obtained with new extra coil and elevated structure as capacity with

Capacity in primary exciting circuit Inductance in primary circuit
168 bottles = 0.1512 mfd 20 3/8 turns reg. coil

In this test the extra coil had 105 turns. The turns being now reduced to 100, the inductance of the coil will be smaller by a ratio of $! {\left({100 \over 150}\right)^{2}} $! = 0.907. Hence instead of 20,000,000 cm as before, the inductance of the coil will be 20 x 0.907 million cm or 18,140,000 cm = 0.018 henry approx. Had the above test been performed with the coil so modified, the capacity in the primary exciting circuit - assuming the inductance the same - would have been smaller by a ratio of $! {18.14 \over 20} $! or we would have had instead of 168 bottles about $! {18.14 \over 20} $! x 168 = 153 bottles approximately = 0.0009 x 153 = 0.13759 mfd capacity. We have therefore as basis for computation:

316

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.