VAN DE GRAFF GENERATOR

Submitted to TEENA ELZA Submitted by Jayshnav

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS 12-C NMS

 Contents
 Àcknowledgement
 Certificate of Completion
 Introduction
 History and Applications
 Principle and Construction
 Working
 Experiment on Van de Graff generator
 Bibliography
Acknowledgement

Firstly I would like to sincerely express my

gratitiude towards my physics mentor Ms.
Teena Elza Thomas for her immense support,
guidance and encouragement in making this
project a success. I would also like to
appreciate the staff of the Department of
Physics for lending a helping hand during the
making of this project. Finally, I also thank my
parents and classmates who helped me with
their valuable suggestions during various
phases of completion of this project.
 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
This is to certify that Jayshnav Ravi of Class
12 has successfully completed the project
work on Van de Graaff Generator for class XII
Physics Internal Assessment of The Central
Board of Secondary Education in the year
2022-2023. It is further certified that this
project is the individual work of the candidate.

Signature
Signature
Teena Elza Thomas
External Examiner
Dept of Physics
 Introduction
A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator
which uses a moving belt to accumulate electric charge
on a hollow metal globe on the top of an insulated
column, creating very high electric potentials. It
produces very high voltage direct current (DC)
electricity at low current levels. It was invented by
American physicist Robert J. Van de Graaff in 1929.
The potential difference achieved by modern Van de
Graaff generators can be as much as 5 megavolts. A
tabletop version can produce on the order of 100 kV
and can store enough energy to produce visible electric
sparks. Small Van de Graaff machines are produced for
entertainment, and for physics education to teach
electrostatics; larger ones are displayed in some science
museums. The Van de Graaff generator was originally
developed as a particle accelerator for physics research,
as its high potential can be used to accelerate subatomic
particles to great speeds in an evacuated tube. It was the
most powerful type of accelerator until the cyclotron
was developed in the early 1930s. Van de Graaff
generators are still used as accelerators to generate
energetic particle and X-ray beams for nuclear research
and nuclear medicine. The voltage produced by an
open-air Van de Graaff machine is limited by arcing
and corona discharge to about 5 MV. Most modern
industrial machines are enclosed in a pressurized tank
of insulating gas; these can achieve potentials as large
as about 25 MV.
 History
Van de Graaff built his first generator in the early
1930s. The device, which is used for producing a very
high electrostatic potential, depends for its operation on
deposition of a charge on a moving belt of insulating
fabric. This charge is conveyed on the belt into a
smooth, spherical, well-insulated metal shell, where it is
removed, passing to the metal shell. The shell increases
in potential until an electric breakdown occurs or until
the load current balances the charging rate. Machines of
this kind, properly enclosed, have produced potentials
of about 13,000,000 volts (13 megavolts). In a related
device called the Pelletron accelerator, the moving belt
is replaced by a moving chain of metallic beads
separated by insulating material. The Pelletron
accelerator at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
Tenn., produces 25 megavolts and will accelerate
protons or heavy ions, which are then injected into an
isochronous cyclotron for further acceleration. Uses of
Van de Graaff generator -It’s used to generate a high
voltage range of a few million volts. -It is used to
accelerate projectiles such as protons, deuterons and
other high-kineticenergy particles that cause artificial
transmutation when they hit their target. -It’s used in
Physics to investigate collision experiments. -These
beams are employed in cancer treatment.
 PRINCIPLE
Van de Graaff is based on the principle of static electricity –
that if a charged conductor is brought internally in contact
with the hollow conductor all the charges from the inner
conductor are transferred to the surface of the outer
conductor no matter what amount of charge is already
present on the outer shell.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE VAN DE

GRAAFF GENERATOR
As depicted in the Van de Graaff generator diagram –
Aluminium roller (B) and Plastic roller (C), a simple
Van de Graaff generator consists of a rubber belt
travelling over a pair of rollers. A hollow metallic
sphere set on an insulated stand surrounds one of them.
The electron emitter is positioned near the lower plastic
roller in the form of a comb (D) made up of sharp metal
points, with the comb pointing towards the rubber belt.
External power keeps the comb at a high positive
voltage. Another comb, the receiver comb (E), is
located near the upper roller and is attached to a hollow
metal sphere, which is moved by a motor connected to
the bottom roller.
 WORKING OF VAN DE GRAAFF GENERATOR
After the motor is switched on and is connected to the roller
(C), the belt moves around the pulley. As per the principle of
static electricity, Positive charges are sprayed on the outer
edge of the belt by a spray comb located near the bottom
roller and coupled to a high positive potential. Charges on the
belt are carried upwards and are collected by the receiver
comb on the top of the generator. The charge is transported to
a hollow sphere because the upper comb is connected to a
hollow conductor. The spherical shell accumulates a
tremendous number of charges and creates enormous potential
as the belt continuously transmits positive charges to the
receiver comb. Due to the force of repulsion between the light
charges on the dome, it becomes increasingly difficult for the
surface to contain more and more charges. When the spherical
shell’s potential exceeds the air’s breakdown value, the air
around the sphere becomes ionised, causing charge leakage
from the sphere. The Van de Graaff generator generates a
beam of high-energy particles in the megavolt range. The
ideal shape for the generator terminal is a sphere that has an
inward curve near the hole at the place the belt enters. Greater
potentials can be produced without ionisation of the
surrounding air or dielectric gas because the electric field
surrounding a rounded terminal is reduced. The electric field
outside the sphere becomes exceedingly strong and outside
charging is soon inhibited. Because there is no electric field
inside electrically charged conductors, charges can be added
continually from the inside without reaching the full potential
of the external shell. Because it can deliver the same little
current at almost any level of electrical potential, a Van de
Graaff generator is an example of a nearly perfect current
source.
 EXPERIMENT
Aim : Explore concepts in current and voltage with a Van de
Graaff generator. and to find out What will happen when the
generator is turned on?
Materials: 2 Van de Graaff generators’, Rubber-
soled shoes ,Metal fork ,Costume wig.
Procedure: Wear rubber-soled shoes,This will
help insulate you from the ground. Set up the Van de
Graaff generator on a table top. Touch the generator
while it is off to discharge any static electricity
currently on the surface. Turn on the generator. Touch it
and feel what happens Keeping your hand on the
generator that is on, bring your free hand closer to the
metal fork. Turn off the generator. Place the costume
wig over the generator. Turn it on and observe what
happens. Turn off the generator and remove the wig.
Turn on the generator. Take the metal object (like a
fork) and rub it on an insulated object, like the carpet or
clothing. Why do you have to do this? Bring it close to
the sphere and watch what happens.
Results: Touching the generator while it’s on will
cause your hair to stand up. Similarly, the hair on the
wig will stand up when the generator is on. Bringing
your free hand close to a metal object will discharge
electricity from your body and you will hear an audible
pop. Bringing a positively charged charged metallic
object close to the negatively charged generator will
produce a visible spark, like tiny lightning!