[KeithsTV]

At school we had a Van der Graff generator. One evening in the after school radio club one of the lab technicians gave us a demonstration. First he showed us the "normal" 4" sparks which impressed us but then he connected a Leyden Jar across the output and moved the balls apart to about a foot. We were told to stand back as he turned the handle for what seemed like an age then suddenly an almighty crack as a spark jumped the 12". That left a lasting impression on us all. Of course that would not have been allowed in the class but he did show us the best way to draw a spark from it with your finger. Point the tip of your finger towards the dome and you'll feel it but if you point one of the joints in your finger at the dome you'll still draw a spark but you won't feel the shock as much. Something to do with the fact that there are more nerves in the tip of your finger that in the joints.

Keith