This is me at the Technorama Science Center, wearing a metal suit with the sparks from a large Tesla Coil. There is more than enough amperage to kill me. So why did I survive?
Excellent job! This one was actually a "trick" question, aimed at friends and family. The sparks are high frequency alternating current from a Tesla Coil, and they are used to hearing me talk about the "skin effect" that causes high frequency AC to flow around a conductor, instead of through it. In this case though, the answer is simpler. Electricity takes the easiest pathway, and here the easiest pathway is through the metal suit. This demonstration would work the same way if I was holding a metal rod, with the spark hitting one end and jumping from the other. As long as I was standing on the insulating platform and the spark was not hitting me directly, the electricity would still take the path of least resistance, which would be along the metal. The metal suit makes sure that the spark does not hit my skin, making this a very safe demonstration.
Lightining
You were insulated with so that the amperage would go though the metal suit.
by cristina one of your students 09-10
i think you survived because all the energy was transmitted though the metal surrounding your body and it didn't even tap you on the shoulder :)
Survival
I think that you survived the electricity because the electricity was just visiting. It went straight through you and did not stay permanently to shock you.
Rachel Age 10
wow
there was probably like insulation in it like some others said and where is the technorama science center? it looks really cool! btw your videos are awesome and i have learned so much since joining this website!
Technorama
The Technorama Science Center is in Winterthur, Switzerland. It is AMAZING!
Maybe your feet where
Maybe your feet where insulated, and electricity follows the path of least resistant, the suite rather then you body?
My son, he is 5, I read your posts to him, wants to know how it felt? He is going around making zzzzz sounds; he is very amused by the idea.
Do you have a video with you zapping things? Just curious :)
RE: Maybe your feet where
I did not feel a thing. I will have some video on the website hopefully today.
Metal suit
I think that the inside of the suit is insulated, perhaps with rubber. The energy passes through the metal outside part of the suit, and you are protected by the insulated inside.
Lauren (age 10)
Awesome sparky!
Dear Mr. Krampf,
We love your picture.
The electricity is coming from above and traveling on the outside of the metal and out the rod in your other hand for 2 reasons.
The metal is more conductive than your body and there is less resistance on the outside of the metal than on the inside.
What kind of metal is your suit, and how is it made? Are your pants metal too? It does not look like you are wearing gloves.
Our dad wants to know how many volts the tesla coil is taking in and putting out.
Isaac and Adalie
Awesome sparky!
Yes, the suit has metal pants, a metal shirt with gloves, and a metal hood, so that I am totally enclosed in metal.
This is a 1,200,000 volt Tesla Coil.
Wow.
Somehow the metal suit did something. The electricity flowed through the metal and not through your body.
From,
Michael (age 9)
yeah
thats what i thought too for a 9 year old you got some good thinking in that brain of yours :)
funky metal suit guy
Dear Mr. Krampf,
We're impressed--you look amazingly scary! :-)Mom says you're not dead because there's something about voltage and amperage--maybe the voltage was really really low??? But, we all thought maybe since electricity seeks the path of least resistance, it was easier for the power to travel through the metal than through your body. In any regards, we are glad you are not toast.
The Andrews
Tacy wants to know how our bones grow. (No rhyme intended.)
funky metal suit guy
Great question on bones. They grow by a process called modeling, where part of the bone is reabsorbed and then redeposited. This lets the bones grow longer, thicker, and grow back together if they are broken. There are special cells called osteoclasts that dissolve some of the old bone away, and other cells called osteoblasts that deposit the new bone in its place.
Morgan from Mrs.Webbers class
Dear Mr.Krampf,
I think you survived by having rubber shoes on. Another thing is you were holding it away from you.!!!!!!!!HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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