Tesla coil

Giant Tesla coil indicating millions of volts of electricity

A Tesla coil is an electrical machine invented by Nikola Tesla in 1891. It is a radio-frequency oscillator and resonant transformer that generates high voltage electricity at low currents. One use is to make lightning bolts. Most are used nowadays to entertain. "Singing Tesla coils" have also been made that can create music.

It works on the principle of electromagnetic induction.

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Tesla Coil Media

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  Unipolar Tesla coil circuit. C2 is not an actual capacitor but represents the capacitance of the secondary windings L2, plus the capacitance to ground of the toroid electrode E.

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  Solid state DRSSTC Tesla coil with pointed wire attached to toroid to produce brush discharge

• Star Wars theme performed on a tesla coil, Niagara Parks Power Station, 2024

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  Electric discharge showing the lightning-like plasma filaments from a 'Tesla coil'

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  Tesla coil (discharge).

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  Tesla coil in terrarium (I)

• Demonstration of the Nevada Lightning Laboratory 1:12 scale prototype twin Tesla Coil at Maker Faire 2008

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  A small, later-type Tesla coil in operation: The output is giving 43-centimetre (17 in) sparks. The diameter of the secondary is 8 cm (3.1 in). The power source is a 10 000 V, 60 Hz current-limited supply.