"Lightning gun" discussion

bobjacobson · Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:45 pm

i know of a way to make a laminar stream of water. it is used for squirt/water guns, but could probably be modified for your uses. here is a link http://www.sscentral.org/homemade/lam.html . it may not work, because of range of use, but it is a possible idea.

Doctore · Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:29 pm

hmm

Just find the right nozzle an use hydrochloric acid instead water.
Hydrochloric acid is an electrolyte so it is a good conductor.

saefroch · Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:50 pm

Saefroch wrote:The higher the concentration, the better. I wouldn't worry about using an inactive electrolyte to so much, just avoid halides.

Passing a high-voltage current through HCl will result in the Cl<sup>-</sup> migrating to the anode of an electrolytic cell, where they will be oxidized to Cl<sub>2</sub>. Which is bad.

Hope I'm not patronizing, but in this case I'm a fan of NaOH, since there's no powerful acids that can be formed by reduction or oxidation of the ions.

JDP12 · Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:25 pm

sigh... saefroch.. you beat me to it. i have no wish to be inhaling Chlorine gas.. toxic.

I don't really know if this project will see the light of day.. Might be a cool novelty project in the future when I have time and money.. and I'm short on both right now.

saefroch · Wed Apr 06, 2011 5:49 am

I'm seeing all but two of my classes disappear after AP exams so I'll have free time, but as for money... that'll be devoted to my upcoming hybrid, and possibly a solid-state laser, if I can find a gain medium.

However, I am very interested in the idea of a lightning gun, the only issue I'm having with it so far is the portability of the conductor source.