Nikola Tesla - Free-Energy Devices

&IGH FREQUENCY AND HIGH POTENTIAL CURRENTS. 166tively, the air molecules not necessarily coining in contact withthe ball, though they undoubtedly do so. To convince ourselvesof this we only need to exalt the condenser action, for instance,by enveloping the ball, at some distance, by a better conductorthan the surrounding medium, the conductor being, of course,insulated ;or else byitsurrounding with a better dielectric andapproaching an insulated conductor; in both cases the streamswill break forth more copiously. Also, the larger the ball witha given frequency, or the higher the frequency, the more willthe ball have the advantage over the point.But, since a certainintensity of action is required to render the streams visible, it isobvious that in the experiment described the ball should not betaken too large.In consequence of this two-fold tendency, it is possible to produceby means of points, effects identical to those produced byFIG. 109. FIG. 110.capacity. Thus, for instance, by attaching to one terminal ofthe coil a small length of soiled wire, presenting many pointsand offering great facility to escape, the potential of the coilmay be raised to the same value as by attaching to the terminala polished ball of a surface many times greater than that of thewire.An interesting experiment, showing the effect of the points,may be performed in the following manner : Attach to one ofthe terminals of the coil a cotton covered wire about two feet inlength, and adjust the conditions so that streams issue from thewire. In this experiment the primary coil should be preferablyplaced so that it extends only about half way into the secondarycoil. Now touch the free terminal of the secondary with a conductingobject held in the hand, or else connect it to an insulated