Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,
I am doing the project How far can Sparks Jump. In the Materials it says i need to use some sort of insulating materials. Why do I need to use insulating materials? What effect does that have on the project?
Thank you,
omazoneea

Hi omazoneea,

I'm assuming that you're working on the project described here:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... parks-jump

Part of this experiment is aimed at measuring the maximum gap a spark will jump between two metal spheres (see steps 1-7 of the project procedure). The other part of the experiment (see step 8 ) involves measurement of the spark gap when an insulator or a conductor is placed between the spheres. The idea here is to observe what effects insulators and conductors may have on the distance the spark will jump.

I hope this helps. Please ask again if you have more questions.

A. Norman