text:
North Asheville 'vacation home' sells for $6.8 million, setting new record
ASHEVILLE - In another indication of the Asheville area's red hot housing market, a North Asheville home has sold for a record-setting $6.8 million.
Beverly-Hanks Realtors made the announcement, noting the home and surrounding 4.55 acres at 264 Skycliff Drive "closed for $6.8 million, making it the highest ever residential sale in Asheville's 28804 zip code." The home is in the gated Wildcat Cliffs neighborhood off Town Mountain Road in North Asheville.
Renée Miller, residential broker associate from Beverly-Hanks' Biltmore Park office, represented the buyers. The 7,436-square-foot home is newly constructed.
"The new owners bought it because of the unbelievable views and privacy on top of the mountain," Miller said in the release. "They currently live in Charlotte and want a vacation home in the mountains of Western North Carolina to escape to. This house is perfect for that and for entertaining."
Katherine Kaderabek, vice president/managing broker of the firm's Biltmore Park office, said the sale "is clear evidence that our luxury market continues to be strong."
"These buyers, like many, were attracted to Asheville and this property because of the stunning 360-degree mountain views, along with the proximity to our vibrant downtown."
Miller said the buyers originally wanted to buy 50-plus acres of land to build a private estate with three-four homes on it for their family, "so we were looking at large tracts of land and large homes on land."
In its third quarter residential sales report, Beverly-Hanks noted home values in Buncombe County "continue to rise amid the ongoing shortage of homes for sale." The median sales price for a home in Buncombe for the quarter was $400,000, and 84 homes had sold in the $1 million and up price range.
"Properties are coming on and off the market at record speed," the report stated. "During the last 90 days, properties were spending less than 30 days on the market."
The average number of properties selling each month decreased by 7%, though, "suggesting a market cooling may be on the horizon." But that's not in the high-end of the market.
Priced out of Buncombe: 'Half a million dollars for a run-down shack in the back is ridiculous'
"Most of this cooling occurred in the lower third of tracked price brackets," the report states. "Unlike less expensive homes, luxury home buyers continue to be very active. Luxury home sales increased by 45% compared to 2020."
The Wildcat Cliffs home feature "geothermal-heated Italian wood-look tile" and Italian porcelain countertops, as well as "Turkish and Portuguese limestone exterior features," according to the release. The four-bedroom home has "a grand salon with a fireplace, a formal bar made of semi-precious marble, a lavish movie theater built by renowned Acoustic Innovations, and a studio with en suite bathroom located on the second level."
It also has an outdoor terrace with a stone fireplace, looking out on "encompassing mountain views."
Housing:Can first-time homebuyer actually find a home around Asheville?
The highest priced-home in the immediate Asheville area came last year, when a Biltmore Forest home on 45 acres sold for $9.5 million.
The North Asheville home sale eclipses a previous sale in November, also claimed as a record for the North Asheville area. In that transaction, a 17,850-square-foot home at 259 Midland Drive sold for $5.1 million.
Marilyn Wright of Premier Sotheby's International Realty's Asheville office marketed that property. That house has six bedrooms, 10 full baths and five partial baths and an indoor pool and spa, according to a Sotheby's press release.


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harnessing electrical potential from a simulated lightning strike with varying levels of humidity and material type
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Chapter 13 Notes
Harnessing Electrical Potential from a Simulated Lightning Strike with Varying
Levels of Humidity and Material Type
Parker Authier and Ian Rasch
Macomb Mathematics Science Technology Center
A.P. Physics
Mr. McMillan / Mrs. Gravel
The purpose of the research was to determine the effects of material covering type
and humidity on the electric potential in the air harnessed from a lightning strike. Any
possible findings from this research can benefit the green, renewable energy industry by
allowing a new way to harness energy. One example is having devices on the houses
around a structure with a lightning rod, allowing all buildings to obtain energy from a
lightning strike via the rod itself and the electric potential in the air.
The research was completed by placing a copper plate coated with either no
covering, plastic, or rubber in an airtight box containing a Tesla coil and grounding metal
with humidity levels at 40-43, 60-63, or 80-83 percent humidity. The copper plate was
then attached to the side of the box and a voltage probe. The Tesla coil was then turned
on and off to simulate a lightning strike to record the electric potential harnessed from the
air during the lightning strike.
The research showed that when humidity was held high, 80-83 percent, and
covering was held low, plastic, produced the highest electric potential harnessed. This
result was backed up by nine two-factor design of experiments (DOE) run with the
different humidity and material factors. While all the numbers remained small, there were
no statistically significant factors. Humidity had the highest effect with a value of 0.0389
volts. This is supported because the greater humidity in the air, the smaller voltage
needed to make a spark jump through humid air, a lightning strike.
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
Review of Literature ........................................................................................................... 4
Experimental Design ......................................................................................................... 11
Data and Observations ...................................................................................................... 14
Data Analysis and Interpretation ...................................................................................... 19
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 27
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 34
Appendix A: Construction of the Enclosure ..................................................................... 35
Appendix B: Randomization............................................................................................. 38
Appendix C: Prediction Equations.................................................................................... 39
Works Cited ...................................................................................................................... 40
Authier Rasch 1
So Yoda sounds like our best bet as an energy source. But with world electricity
consumption pushing 2 terawatts, it would take a hundred million Yodas to meet our
demands. All things considered, switching to Yoda power probably isn't worth the
trouble though it would definitely be green (Munroe). There are many ways to
provide energy to the world, the quotes suggest using the fictional, green-colored
character Yoda as an energy source. He uses The Force, a type telekinesis, to do work,
which means he could theoretically provide energy without any kind of pollution, making
it green energy. Another possible source of green energy is lightning. Green energy is
any naturally occurring, theoretically inexhaustible source of energy, as biomass, solar,
wind, tidal, wave, and hydroelectric power, that is not derived from fossil or nuclear fuel
(The Definition of Renewable Energy).
Lighting produces an electric potential in the surrounding air that can be
harnessed to provide energy. Lighting provides a clean, renewable source of energy. A
lightning rod can be used to attract lightning in order to either disperse or collect the
energy directly from the lightning strike. However, the electric potential created in the air
surrounding a lightning strike remains unharvested. If a device that harnessed this electric
potential was present, then much more electric potential could be harnessed from a
lightning strike. This new source of energy could be used to provide power for locations
that have frequent lightning activity. The devices would not be as complex as solar
panels, constructed of a simple plate of metal with a covering connected to a power bank
to store the electric potential, providing a cheaper source of alternative energy. The
benefit of harnessing the electric potential around a lightning strike means that there
would be no risk of direct lightning strike. Also, this method would allow a large area to
harness the electric potential from the same lightning strike simultaneously. New
theories [Gurevich, Zybin, Dwyer] suggest that relativistic effects can greatly enhance the
creation or arcs in storm clouds, if the ambient electric field reaches a critical length of
about 80 meters, and a critical intensity of 200 kilovolts per meter (Lightning On
Demand). This quote comes from an organization called Lightning On Demand, they
make Tesla coils and conduct different experiments. In this quote, they have theorized a
way to using two Tesla coils, each 10 stories high and 80 meters apart, to produce a total
of 17.6 million volts of electricity. Their goal is to have the Tesla coils at this critical
point and to use the electric fields in clouds to provide wireless electrical energy. The
energy would then be harvested from the air and used to power other devices. This
organizations idea helped inspire the experiment that took place.
and humidity on the electric potential in the air harnessed from a lightning strike. This
was tested by using three different coverings, metal, rubber, and plastic, and three
different humidity levels, 40-43, 60-63, and 80-83 percent, in different factor
combinations of the low and high levels (metal and 40-43 percent, plastic and 80-83
percent, etc.). The simulated lightning strikes were created using a Tesla coil. The
humidity was controlled using either a humidifier or dehumidifier to change the humidity
inside of the airtight box that the trials took place in. Each trial was conducted by
changing the humidity of the box and placing the plate inside of the box, choosing each
as needed for each trial. The plate was then attached to the positive terminal on a voltage
probe, the negative end was grounded. The Tesla coil was then turned on and off, in
sequence, and the electric potential energy measured from the voltage probe was
measured. The Tesla coil was kept at the same setting, which assured the researchers that
the amount of electricity used in each lightning strike was constant. Because the material
used for the core of the plates was the same for all trials, material type and humidity were
the only factors affecting the electric potential. The readings were compared to determine
which combination of factors, material type and humidity level, produced the highest
amount of electric potential harnessed. The best combination of factors could be
implemented in a device to provide a cheap alternative source of energy.
Review of Literature
The purpose of this experiment was to identify what material under what level of
humidity could harness the highest electric potential from the air after a lightning strike.
Lightning is a high-current electrical discharge whose path length is measured in
kilometers. The most common sources of lightning is the electric charge separated in
ordinary thunderstorm clouds (Uman). The electric potential of the clouds reaches
maximum and then the electrical energy discharges from the clouds to the ground. There
are different types of lightning, ball, cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-ground, and ground-to-
cloud. Lightning can also be positively charged and negatively charged. The simulated
lightning in this research simulated negatively charged cloud-to-ground lightning.
Simulated lightning strikes were used in this experiment by using a Tesla coil.
Tesla coils are a form of transformer that causes an extremely large electric potential
energy and voltage to jump a spark gap: First, they [Tesla coils] employ a pre-made high
voltage iron core transformer to go from 120 V wall current to roughly 10,000 V. The
wire with 10,000 volts is wrapped into one very large (primary) coil with only a handful
of turns. The secondary coil contains thousands of turns of thin wire. This steps up the
voltage to between 100,000 and one million volts. This potential is so strong that the iron
core of a normal transformer cannot contain it (Hartsfield). A capacitor is used to
store this built-up energy, allowing for one discharge of all the energy to jump the spark
gap and create the plasma that flows off Tesla coils.
Figure 1. Schematic of Tesla Coil
Figure 1 shows the basic schematic of a Tesla coil. This image shows that the
transformer is run in parallel with the capacitor, which is then run in series with the spark
gap to the primary, which is then connected to the ground and secondary, to the torus on
top that helps induce a high voltage and allow for the plasma to ionize in the air.
A capacitor is a device that is used to store electrical energy (Merriam-
Webster). A capacitor is similar to a battery but has the ability to deplete all its stored
energy at once. This property is the only way that the Tesla coils energy can become
extreme enough to cause the plasma to form, from causing a spark to jump the spark gap.
Figure 2. Capacitor
Figure 2 is a diagram of a capacitor. It shows how electricity flows from the
source to the plates and then back to the source after it holds the same charge as the
A spark gap is used in order for the plasma on a Tesla coil to form in the air. A
spark gap is a space between two high-potential terminals (as of an induction coil or
spark plug) through which pass discharges of electricity (Merriam-Webster) This same
technology is used in spark plugs to cause ignition. The spark gap in this experiment was
the distance from the Tesla coil grounding metal.
Electric potential energy is another form of potential energy. While potential
energy occurs when an object holds the potential to do work on some other object,
electrical potential energy occurs when an electrical charge possesses the potential to do
work on another charge. In order to bring two like charges near each other work must be
done. In order to separate two opposite charges, work must be done (Electrical Energy
and Electrical Potential). For work to occur, the charges must have some form of energy
that is changing into this kinetic energy that the charges experience. The energy that these
charges possess is known as electrical potential energy. The Tesla coils capacitor stores
electrical energy that bears electrical potential energy. The charge on the energy is so
high that the electrical energy is attracted to the less charged charges in the air ionizing
them. The energy is attracted to objects, such as metal, that are conductive and can pass
the energy throughout itself.
Humid breezes blowing in from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico make Florida
the nation's stormiest state, with thunderstorms billowing up almost 100 days every year
(Wolkomir). The humidity in the air helps the clouds with their electric potential energy
ionize with the air. The higher the humidity the more frequent lightning can strike. All
the extra water vapor in the air allows the clouds to pass their electrical energy to the
earth, or other objects, that are less charges or oppositely charged. With humidity being
able to cause an effect in the frequency of lightning strikes, it may possibly allow a Tesla
coil to be more frequent with its ionization of the air.
Researchers know that most cloud-to-ground lightning is negatively charged, but
a small percentage of strokes are positive (Wolkomir). With lightning being negatively
charged, the earth is mostly positively charged causing the lighting to strike the earth.
The energy potential in the cloud is so high, the electrical energy is transferred through
the air as heat and kinetic energy to the oppositely charged surface of the earth. The heat
the lightning produces as it jumps the spark gap to the earth superheats the air to
blistering temperatures and the air explodes with such a force that it creates a sound wave
that portrays itself as thunder. The exact origin of how the clouds get the negative, or in
some cases positive, charges is still unknown. One theory started to be recognized as a
probable cause to this. The theory states that the mammoth storm clouds that extend high
into the atmosphere become positively charged on the top and negatively charged on the
bottom due to ice particles. The ice particles that are near the top are dense and hail-like.
These particles then fall and hit less dense ice shard in the air below. As these denser
particles collide, they snatch the valence electrons from the less dense ice shards and
become negatively charged and sit in the bottom of the cloud giving the clouds bottom
half a large negative charge. This theory has not been proven entirely true, but does have
some recognition as a possibility (Wolkomir). Simulated lightning occurs when a Tesla
coil builds up an extremely large amount of electrical potential energy and the energy
travels through the air to a less or oppositely charged object. The plasma resembles
lightning because the transferring of the electrical energy ionizes the air in the same way.
The ability an electrical charge to pass through a material is the conductivity of
that material. Conductors possess miniscule resistance to the flow of the electrical
charges, while insulators possess a large resistance. Metals are the most conductive
material with silver being the highest and used as a scale for other metals (Conductivity).
Rubbers possess a large resistance to the flow of electricity, metals possess little to none,
and plastics, for the most part, possess no resistance or aid and are neither insulators or
Figure 3. Conductivity and Resistivity
Figure 3 shows a chart of conductive and resistive materials. The lower the
number, the more conductive a material is, while the larger the number the higher the
resistance. Metals start around 3 micro ohms, while rubbers and polymer foams have low
values at one thousand, and one-hundred thousand, and glasses do not start until around
ten trillion ohms.
This research is similar to the proposed device by Nikola Tesla, the radiant energy
receiver. This device claimed to harness the static electricity from the air and convert it
into usable energy:
It stored static electricity obtained from the air and converted it to a usable form.
Teslas invention is a simple version of T.H. Morays device. Morays device
used a unique rectifier (RE-valve) to efficiently capture the static electricity from
the surrounding air. Morays oscillator tubes (magnetron transducers) utilized this
high-voltage energy to generate an internal secondary cold fusion reaction.
Stick an antenna up in the air, the higher the better, and wire it to one side of a
capacitor, the other going to a good earth ground, and the potential difference will
then charge the capacitor. Connect across the capacitor some sort of switching
device so that it can be discharged at rhythmic intervals, and you have an
oscillating electric output. T.H. Moray simply expanded on Teslas idea to use
high-voltage to create ionic oscillation. (Perreault)
Authier Rasch 10
Problem Statement:
How does the level of humidity and the covering material affect the voltage from
the electrostatic field created from a Tesla coil?
If the highest level of humidity was coupled with no covering material, then the
Voltage would yield the largest value.
Data Measured:
The independent variables were the humidity (40-43%, 60-63%, 80-83%) and the
covering material type (plastic, nothing, rubber). The dependent variable was the voltage
from the electrostatic field measured in volts. A two factor Design of Experiments (DOE)
will be used to analyze the data from 63 trials.
Vernier LabQuest
Voltage Probe Sensor
Plexiglass Enclosure (202 cm*202 cm*313 cm)
Lagute Dehumidifier
Homedics Humidifier
TI-NSpire Calculator
Copper Wire (46 cm)
Copper plate (5cm*5cm*0.5cm)
I. Precautions
1. Do not touch Tesla coil when in operation to prevent harm to oneself
II. System Setup
2. Build plexiglass enclosure (See Appendix A)
2. Randomize order of trials (See Appendix B)
3. Place Tesla coil in middle of enclosure with a piece of conductive metal two
centimeters away from the top, (See Figure 5 & Figure 6)
4. Attach wires and negative terminal from the Vernier LabQuest to grounding
terminal on Tesla coil
5. Plug Tesla coil into power strip
6. Place humidifier/dehumidifier inside the enclosure and close enclosure
7. Turn on/off humidifier/dehumidifier depending on trial
8. Allow humidity in enclosure to reach target humidity
9. Attach the correct metal plate to the wall of the enclosure, depending on trial, to
the positive terminal of the LabQuest
III. Data Collection
10. Turn on power strip turning the Tesla coil on
11. Allow Tesla coil to run for 5 seconds
12. Turn off power strip turning the Tesla coil off
13. Record the average voltage measured on the LabQuest
14. Repeat steps 10 through 13 for all trials
Diagram:
Figure 4. Materials
Figure 4 shows all the materials used in the experiment.
Figure 5 Setup of Experiment (Perspective View)
Figure 5 shows the perspective view of the set up.
Figure 6. Setup of Experiment (Top View)
Figure 6 shows the vertical view of the setup, as seen from the top of the
Data and Observations
Factors Used in Experiment
Humidity in the Box Plate Material Covering
(-) Standard (+) (-) Standard (+)
40-43 60-63 80-83 Plastic Rubber No Covering
Table 1 displays the two factors that were used to conduct the experiment.
Varying levels of humidity for which the experiment was conducted in and the covering
of a copper plate were utilized to identify which combination yielded the highest electric
potential in the air. The humidity varied from 40-43% (low), 60-63% (standard), and 80-
83% (high). The humidity levels were chosen in relation to the humidity of the air outside
of the testing area. The high and low values were then chosen based on what the
researchers could change the humidity to through the use of humidifiers and
dehumidifiers. The material covering varied from plastic (low), rubber (standard), and no
covering (high).
Electric Potential of the Air
Electric Electric Electric
Order Trial Potential Order Trial Potential Order Trial Potential
(V) (V) (V)
1 Std. 0.1147 1 Std. 0.0593 1 Std. 0.0952
2 ++ 0.1020 2 ++ 0.0283 5 ++ 0.1029
6 -- 0.0240 5 -- 0.0320 6 -- 0.0180
5 +- 0.1484 6 +- 0.0963 3 +- 0.1332
3 -+ 0.0370 3 -+ 0.0380 2 -+ 0.0490
6 -+ 0.0420 6 -+ 0.0420 2 -+ 0.052
Table 2. displays the electric potential that was measured from the Tesla coil for
every trial in each design of experiment.
Experimental Observations
Trial Observations
The box had a lot of ionized air causing it to smell and make graphs appear to
be scaled. The box was aired out and the trial redone.
11 The urethane foam was still moist and sticky.
19 The humidifier left some condensation on the base of the Tesla coil.
Graphs appeared to be scaled due to all the ionization in the box. The box was
aired out and the trial retaken.
31 Humidifier left traces of water throughout the box.
46 Large amount of ionization caused some data inaccuracies.
The plastic covering remained dry considering the box had some condensation
in it.
60 The data had some inaccurate readings due to all the ionization in the box.
Table 3 displays some observations made when performing the experiment. The
box had to be aired out after doing a large amount of trials to reduce the amount of
ionized air the box.
Figure 7. Test of Airtight Box Figure 8. Test of Data Collection
Figures 7 and 8 display the box as data collection was tested and the quality of the
air tight seal. Figure 7 shows the method for closing the lid of the box to create an airtight
seal. There is a weight that is placed upon the lid causing it to push tightly against the
silicone caulk ring that was created. Figure 8 shows the testing of the setup inside of the
box to measure the electric potential energy in the air in the box. The metal square seen
above is placed far enough away from the Tesla coil to ensure that there is no direct
contact between our testing apparatus and the simulated lightning.
Figure 9. Releasing Ionized Air Figure 10. Final Setup
Figures 9 and 10 show the final setup of the experiment. Figure 9 shows the
releasing of the ionized air inside the box. This was done in between every trial to ensure
that the electric potential that was tested was accurate. A one kilogram weight was added
to the top of the box to make the airtight seal during the trials (Figure 10).
Data Analysis and Interpretation
The data that was collected during this experiment is reliable because there were
no major outliers; control, randomization, and replication were also used. The control for
the experiment was handled by conducting standard trials on levels that were within the
normal levels of the environment around the testing area. The randomization of each trial
order was used through the randomization function on the TI-NSpire graphing calculator.
This ensured that there was no bias in the data because there was no favoring of the trial
order due to necessity or ease. Each trial had no effect on any other trial or its order. They
were all each as likely to be ran after each other. Replication was used through following
the experimental design for each trial to ensure that there were no trials that were
conducted differently from each other. This reduces variability in data due to lurking
variables.
Average Electric Potential
Table 4 shows the Electric Potential, measured in volts, for each of the Design of
Experiments (DOE) and the average for each combination of factors. The grand average
(average of the averages) is 0.0563 V.
Figure 11. Dot Plot of Standards
Figure 11 displays a dot plot of the standards from the experiment. The variability
of the standard trials, the range of standards, relays whether or not the experiment was
consistent. The range of standards is 0.0554 volts. With no rapidly increasing or
decreasing trends, it can be said that there is consistency within the data.
When doubling the range of standards, 0.1107, one can check if a variable is
statistically significant by being smaller than -0.1107, or larger than 0.1107. The range of
the standards is close to the value collected during trials with the range of the data being
0.1162, the doubled range of standards is close to the range of our data points, making it
unlikely and or impossible for any value to exceed this range.
Effect of Humidity
40-43% 80-83%
(-) (+)
Average = 0.0369 Average = 0.0758
Figure 12. Effect of Humidity
Table 5 and Figure 12 display the effect that humidity had on the electric potential
in the air. The average electric potential when humidity was held high (80-83%) and low
(40-43%) were calculated. By adding the two values when humidity was high and
dividing by two yielded an average of 0.0758 volts. By adding the two values when
humidity was low and dividing by two yielded an average of 0.0369 volts. When
subtracting the average from the low humidity to the high there is a result of 0.0389 volts.
This means that as humidity increased, on average, the electric potential in the air
increased by 0.0389 volts.
Effect of Material Type
None Plastic
Figure 13. Effect of Material
Table 6 and Figure 13 display the effect that material covering had on the electric
potential in the air. The average electric potential when material covering was held high
(no covering) and low (plastic) were calculated. By adding the two values when material
covering was high and dividing by two yielded an average of 0.0528 volts. By adding the
two values when material covering was low and dividing by two yielded an average of
0.0599 volts. When subtracting the average from when material covering was held low
from when material covering was held high there is a result of -0.0071 volts. This means
that as material covering increased, on average, the electric potential in the air decreased
by 0.0071 volts.
Interaction Effect
Figure 14. Interaction Effect
Table 7 and Figure 8 show how the two factors of humidity and material type
interact on the electric potential in the air. These compare the total averages of humidity
and the total averages of material type to find the interaction effect. It can also be noted
that the slopes of the solid and dashed segments appear to be opposite. This suggests that
there was an interaction, or that the effect value may be statistically significant.
The overall interaction effect was found by subtracting the slope of the dashed
segment (0.0047) from the slope of the solid segment (-0.0118). The interaction of
humidity and material type in this experiment was approximately -0.0165. The -0.0165
value means that as both humidity and material type increased, the average electric
potential in the air decreased by 0.0165 V.
When humidity was held high on its own, an average electric potential of 0.0758
V was observed (see Figure 14). The solid segment, which represents the interaction of
humidity and material type, is shown above. When material type is held high, there is an
average electric potential of 0.0528 V; this value is much lower than the 0.0758 V
expected originally. However, when material is held low, there is an average electric
potential of 0.0599 V; this value is also much lower than 0.0758 V.
Additionally, when material type was held low, an average electric potential of
0.0599 V was observed (see Figure 14). When humidity is held high, there is an average
electric potential of 0.0758; this value is much higher than the expected 0.0559 V.
However, when humidity was held low, there was an average of 0.0369 V; this value is
much lower than 0.0599 V.
Figure 15. Dot Plot of Effects
Figure 15 shows the effects of each variable: humidity (H), material type (M), and
their interaction (HM). To determine if a variable is statistically significant to a given
experiment, its effect value can be compared to double the range of standards (0.1107 V).
The significance of each factor was determined by doubling the range of
standards and comparing the effect of that factor. With the effect of 0.0389 V, humidity
proved not to be statistically significant because it was inside the range of standards;
however, humidity had, by far, the largest effect on the electrical potential recorded
therefore we can stay that it was significant. With the effect of -0.0071 V, material type
proved not to be statistically significant, meaning that the material type had very little
effect on the electric potential of the air.
The significance of the interaction between the humidity and the material type
was determined by doubling the range of standards and comparing the effect of the
interaction of humidity and material type on the electric potential of the air. The
interaction effect was calculated to be -0.0165 V. With the effect being inside of the
range of standards the interaction between humidity and material type proved to be
insignificant.
None of the effects were proven to be statistically significant. This means that
while each factor did have some effect on the electric potential harnessed from the air it
was not a very significant one. The effect of humidity possessed the largest effect value
of 0.0389 V and has the largest effect value by 0.0554 V, it was significant. The dot plot
shows that humidity had a much larger effect on the electric potential in the air proving
that it was an important factor in the experiment.
= + + + + ""
Figure 16. Prediction Equation
Figure 16 shows the prediction equation. This equation is made by combining the
grand average, or average of all the averages, with the effects of the factors and the
interaction all divided by two. This is used to interpolate the electric potential in the air.
The prediction is 0.0640 volts, for a humidity of 70-73% and a plate covering of carbon,
or halfway between the standards and the high values for the factors (See Appendix C for
sample calculation).
= + + ""
Figure 17. Parsimonious Prediction Equation
Figure 17 shows the parsimonious prediction equation. The equation only
includes the grand average and any significant effects divided by two. Humidity was
considered the only significant factor. This means that the parsimonious prediction
equation only contains the grand average and humidity. The parsimonious prediction is
0.0758 volts (See Appendix C for sample calculation).
The function of this experiment was to test the effect that humidity and material
type had on the harnessing of electric potential energy from a simulated lightning strike.
An airtight acrylic box with a wooden frame was constructed to house a Tesla coil and
contain the humidity needed for each trial. A copper plate with an electrode was then
placed into the box with different material covering it. The electric potential in the air
was then recorded when the Tesla coil was switched on versus when the coil was off. The
hypothesis was that the highest recorded electric potential in the air would come from a
high humidity and a high material covering of no covering. This hypothesis was denied
with the results displaying that the highest recorded electric potential came from the trials
where humidity was held high and the material covering was held low, with a plastic
covering yielding the highest value of 0.0875 volts. The lowest average was when
humidity was held low and the material covering was held low with plastic for a value of
0.0322 volts. This result is backed up by Paulette Auchtung, the Planetarium and Live
Theaters Manager at the Michigan Science Center: ...it makes sense that you would have
a higher potential with plastic than with metal. Because plastic is an insulator, it can build
up a lot of static electricity. There is nowhere for that electricity to go. When you use
metal, the static build up dissipates because the metal is a conductor (Auchtung). While
none of the factors of this experiment were statistically significant overall, humidity had
the most effect and was considered significant. While conducting the trials the
researchers followed the design of experiment fully and did not stray from it. This means
that there was no variability in the data due to bias from the researchers. Because none of
the points fell out of the double standard lines, none were deemed statistically significant.
Since the range of standards was in range of the data collected, it was impossible for any
factor to be statistically significant. Humidity was the point that, while still far from the
standard lines, was the closest to the line, making it the most significant of the factors
used. The results from this experiment can be considered valid per OpenStax College,
Humid air breaks down at a lower field strength, meaning that a smaller voltage will
make a spark jump through humid air (OpenStax). This supports the reason why
humidity was our highest factor in this experiment. The more humidity the less energy
that is expended in the spark gap creating the lightning itself, meaning that more energy
could be harnessed.
Applications of this research could be used in the field of wireless energy. The
setup of this experiment is similar to and influenced by the organization Lightning on
Demand. The organizations goal is to build two one hundred and twenty-foot tall Tesla
coils in order to provide wireless electricity as well as to observe the condition for the
creation of lightning in storm clouds (Lightning on Demand). In this experiment, the use
of a Tesla coil discharging to produce electric potential energy in the air was used in a
similar way to that of Lightning on Demand. The results of this experiment and Lightning
on Demands are very similar which supports the validity of the experiment and the
This experiment is also similar to the different experiments described in the article
Electric Sky. In the article, research was conducted in different areas of the world that
had different levels of humidity. In these different humidity levels, the properties of
lightning were observed (Wolkomir). In the experiment at hand, the humidity factor was
seen to be the most significant, similar to the findings in Electric Sky. With areas
having a difference in humidity, it can be important to figure out what types of material
provide an advantage to the energy harnessing from the air. This would allow for the
most efficient collection of energy from lightning strikes, giving reason for more tests on
materials to be conducted.
This experiment helps provide information into some of the problems that are
described in the article Lightning as Atmospheric Electricity. The article talks about
different methods for trying to harness the energy from the lightning strikes and different
ways to store it. The article suggests making a device that can slow down the energy and
store it for later (Srinivasan). This research does not provide the solution that was wanted,
but it does provide a solution to help obtain more energy from these lightning strikes. The
article reports that it is estimated that lightning strikes the earth about 100 times every
second. This experiment could help harness more of the energy from all the lightning
strikes without having to be right next to them.
Even though the results of this experiment were similar to other experiments there
were some errors in this experiment. The most prominent error was that the voltage probe
sensor used in the experiment fluctuated readings greatly. The initial sensor used was
found to have been damaged and replaced with a working sensor and trials done under
the broken sensor were redone; however, the readings with the new sensor were similar
to those with the damaged sensor. This could have meant that the new sensor was also
defective, but no evidence of it being damaged was found. No sensors were replaced after
the second sensor. Another error of the experiment was the box that housed the Tesla
coil. The box was airtight which meant that the humidity inside the box could be
maintained easily. However, it meant that there was no circulation of air from outside of
the box. Every time that the Tesla coil was powered and plasma was induced, a small
amount of air in the box was ionized. After every few trials, all the air in the box had
become ionized, which caused the data to become extremely skewed. The box, then, had
to be left with the lid removed between trials to allow the ionized air to leave the box. All
trials that were noticeably affected were redone.
The humidifier used to raise the humidity level in the box caused the sides of the
box to gather condensation quickly which may have affected the data collected. The
initial testing environment, a room with frequent use and proximity to the outdoors,
resulted in a difficulty in changing the humidity levels inside of the box. This was
especially seen during the low humidity trials. The location of the trials was changed to a
more controlled and isolated environment, with lower humidity, halfway through trials.
No trials were redone due to change in location. This may have caused certain trials to
become more or less accurate with humidity levels inside the box potentially changing
due to location.
The final issue was the construction of the box itself, while being airtight, was not
perfect. Much of the construction of the box was skewed from the original measurements,
forcing the silicone caulk to fill gaps between walls, instead of only holding the walls
together. This could have caused the data to be skewed. However, because this was kept
constant for all trials, it can be assumed that this did not have a large impact on the results
of this experiment.
Some further research that could be conducted on this topic would be to use
different metal types instead of only changing the covering of the metal. Because
different metals have different levels of conductivity it could be seen if one type of metal
is more efficient at harnessing the electric potential in the air than that of another metal.
Also, a wider range of coverings could be used on the metal used to harness the energy.
This would allow for more common materials to be tested in order to guide the creation
of a commercial product, if one was created. Testing different materials would also
potentially allow future researchers to test having entire roofs that are used to harness this
energy. This would allow for another source of renewable, green energy. The use of a
Tesla coil that used modulating frequencies would make the experiment more like the
instances of actual lightning strikes. The Tesla coil in this experiment only had one
frequency. Real lightning has varying frequencies which cause it to behave in slightly
different manners. This could influence the method or amount of electric potential
harnessed.
This research has many applications that would directly benefit the world. The
main benefit would be as an alternative source of energy. This concept of harnessing the
energy in the air during a lightning strike could be used to power houses and more. The
main difference between the process used in this experiment and lightning rods is that
there does not need to be any direct contact with the lightning in order to harness its
energy. Not only does this decrease the risk of using energy from lightning, but it also
implies that something a great distance away from a lightning strike could still benefit
from the electric potential energy it created in the air. Specifically, lightning collection
facilities could be made in areas with high lightning activity. These facilities could be
composed of multiple apparatuses used to harness the electric potential energy from the
air, such as that proposed in the experiment, centered around a lightning rod atop a tower.
The tower and lightning rod would both attract lighting and harness the energy directly
while the resulting energy in the air would be harnessed by the apparatuses. This concept
would maximize the energy harnessed from lightning strikes and could be used as an
alternative green power source in areas where wind farms, hydro-electric facilities, and
geothermal plants are not suitable. This would allow convenient green energy to be
accessed by more people around the world.
Throughout the entire process of research -- creating an idea, conducting the
experiment -- and interpreting the data, many lessons were learned. One of the most
prominent lessons that was used multiple times throughout this experiment was
resilience. Multiple times throughout this research something would go wrong or work in
a way that was unforeseen originally. This caused the researchers to have to think up
unique solutions to all their problems in order for the entire research process to be
completed. The first such setback was the construction of the airtight box that the
experiment was run in. During its construction, many aspects of its build changed during
construction. Parts made later in the construction process were more precise due to the
researchers familiarizing themselves with the tendencies of the materials and machinery
used. This meant that not all the original pieces fit together well with parts that were
made later. This was compensated for by using the silicone caulk to fill any gaps in the
construction. This and many other instances forced the researchers to make quick
decisions based on the materials that were readily available. This skill is extremely
valuable in the workforce today; it enables results to be had as quickly as possible by
most efficiently dealing with problems as they arise. During the research process, the
researchers also learned how to work effectively in small groups and how to
acknowledge others strengths and weaknesses. Throughout research different
researchers would take charge in the different areas of the experiment. The researchers
learned whom could perform a task most efficiently and allowed them to perform said
task while providing assistance as needed. This meant that there were minimal setbacks
due to direct results of the researchers. Also, the delegation of various tasks allowed for
the entire research process to be completed quicker than normal. This act of delegation
allows for any task to be done efficiently as well as allowing for the task to be done the
best that it can be.
We are unable to express how thankful we are for all the help from our teachers.
Our teachers Mr. McMillan and Mrs. Gravel have provided a vast amount constructive
criticism that helped us make this paper with a quality that is to be not only required, but
unexpected and intelligent. Without all their time and effort they put into checking and
rechecking our paper section by section and the helpful ideas to improve this paper and
make it something to be proud of. The supportive comments from both teachers allowed
us to maintain a positive attitude throughout the research process, allowing our best work
to show.
Without help from close friends and other students, this paper would not have
been completed. Our friends provided helpful comments and ideas for how to incorporate
all of our ideas into this one paper and make it scientifically accurate.
Also, without the help of Paulette Auchtung the analysis of our data would have
not been as great as it turned out.
A final thank you to our parents and families for being completely fine with us
playing with Tesla coils, and another thank you to Mr. McMillan for allowing us to play
with lightning.
Appendix A: Construction of the Enclosure
The enclosure for the Tesla coil and experiment was built mainly out of plexiglass
and silicone caulk. Wood was used as a support for the plexiglass to be glued on to.
1 cm thick Plexiglass (333886 cm )2
Wood (5008 cm ) 2
Common Nails (1-)
DAP Clear All-Purpose 100% Silicone Sealant (9.8 oz.)
Clamps (4)
Meter Stick
Black Sharpie Marker
Gorilla Wood Glue
I. Cutting Materials
1. Put on safety glasses
2. Measure out plexiglass into two 202*313 cm, two 201*313 cm, and two 202*202
cm pieces. These make up the four sides, top, and bottom of the enclosure
3. Use band saw to cut out plexiglass pieces
4. Use belt sander to straighten edges of cut plexiglass
5. Measure eight 313*2 cm pieces of wood
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 using wood instead of plexiglass
II. Constructing the enclosure
7. Attach two of the wood pieces together, using wood glue, to form a corner
support for the enclosure (See Figure 18)
8. Using the hammer nail the wood pieces together for further support
9. Repeat steps 7-8 four times (See Figure 19)
10. Allow wooden supports to dry
11. Attach plexiglass pieces, in pairs, to the wooden supports using the silicone
12. Secure plexiglass to wood with clamps to allow the silicone to cure
13. Attach the two halves of the enclosure together with silicone (See Figure 20)
14. Attach bottom of enclosure to walls with silicone
Figure 18.
Figure 18 shows one of the wooden supports for the enclosure.
Figure 19. All Wooden Supports
Figure 19 shows all four of the wooden supports for the enclosure
Figure 20. Joining the Halves
Figure 20 shows the two halves of the enclosure being joined with silicone.
Appendix B: Randomization
The trials were randomized using a TI - Nspire calculator until all the trials were
in a random order.
Figure 21. Calculator Randomization
Figure 21 shows how to randomize the trials. Begin by opening a calculator
application. Once there you click menu, then probability, random, and then integer. Next,
assign numbers to the trials and randomize them by placing 1, then a comma, and then
the last trial number within the parentheses.
Figure 22. Example Randomization
Figure 22 is an example of how to randomize trials between 1 and 40.
Appendix C: Prediction Equations
= + 2 + 2
= 0.0563 + 2
Figure 23. Calculation of the Prediction Equation
Figure 23 displays the prediction equation formula and what the prediction
appears to be. The prediction is equal to the sum of the grand average (all averages
averaged), the effect values divided by two, and noise. Noise is an unquantifiable effect
that accounts for the factors that could negatively or positively affect the data and flaws
in the design and execution of the experiment.
= + 2 + ""
= 0.0563 + + ""
Figure 24. Calculation of the Parsimonious Prediction Equation
Figure 24 displays the parsimonious prediction equation formula and what the
prediction appears to be. The prediction is equal to sum of the grand average (all averages
averaged), the statistically significant effects divided by two and noise. Noise is an
unquantifiable effect that accounts for the factors that could negatively or positively
affect the data and flaws the in design and execution of the experiment.
Auchtung, Paulette. "Discussing Electric Potential." E-mail interview. 21 Nov. 2016.
"Conductivity." Conductivity. University of Cambridge, n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2016.
"Electrical Energy and Electrical Potential." Electrical Energy and Electrical Potential.
Science Joy Wagon, n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2016.
Hartsfield, By Tom. "How Tesla Coils Work | RealClearScience." How Tesla
Coils Work | RealClearScience. Real Clear Science, 29 Jan. 2014. Web. 02 Oct.
"Lightning on Demand." LIGHTNING ON DEMAND. N.p., Oct. 2011. Web. 20
Sept. 2016.
Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.
Nave, Carl R. "Capacitors." Capacitance. Georgia State University, n.d. Web. 2 Dec.
OpenStax. "Electric Potential in a Uniform Electric Field." College Physics (n.d.): n. Pag.
OpenStax. OpenStax College, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 9 Nov. 2016.
Perreault, Bruce A. "Nikola Tesla Free Energy: Unraveling Greatest Secret." Nu Energy
Research Archive. Nu Energy, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.
Srinivasan, Karthick, and Jason Gu. "Lightning as Atmospheric Electricity."IEEE Xplore
Document. n.p., 15 Jan. 2007. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
Uman, Martin A. The lightning discharge. Courier Corporation, 2001. Web. 20 Sept.
Wolkomir, Richard. "Electric sky." Omni Mar. 1994: 50+. Academic OneFile. Web. 20
Electrical Resistivity And Conductivity
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text:
CHECKETTS SAFE BUT JEFF ISN'T
By Peter Vecsey
May 18, 1999 | 4:00am
WHILE Jeff Van Gundy lives to coach another series and grab another leg, the only Knick whose job was truly saved by the team's procession to the next playoff plateau is Dave Checketts.
First, though not foremost, the Garden president pleasured himself and his bosses by presenting Pat Riley with his eviction notice. More significantly, Cablevision now is assured of at least two more home games of ticket revenue and advertising (close to $5 million), and near-certainty of reaching the Eastern Conference championship – barring a complete breakdown from overconfidence against the undermanned Hawks.
This is the Knicks' reward for erasing the East's top team: a bye into the conference final.
One unfailing antidote for such complacency is to avoid being exposed to the such hyperbole. It's a good thing neither Jeff Gundy and his coaching staff, nor the players ever read the papers or listen to sports talk radio.
Otherwise, they might be lulled into a confirmed sense of security against the endangered Hawks. LaPhonso Ellis and Alan Henderson are unavailable until next season, and Cracker Jack prize Chris Crawford (separated shoulder) is questionable. That leaves Dikembe Mutombo as the team's only authentic starter on a frontline incompleted by career castoffs Grant Long and Ty Corbin.
Getting aroused to face that tepid trio might be asking too much of the Knicks, were it not for Patrick Ewing's dysfunctioning body parts, Kurt Thomas' recurrent blown fuse and lower-case larry Johnson.
Moreover, look where contempt for the Hawks got the Pistons. Sometimes there's a series (Jazz-Kings) so sensational, it's a crime one team has to lose. And sometimes there's a series (Pistons-Hawks) so slack, it's a shame one team has to win.
(Congratulations to Joe Dumars. He left the NBA seen by fewer people – 8,460 – than when he came into the world.)
Naturally, Van Gundy's in no position to take any opponent lightly. Miami Vise notwithstanding, he must continue to coach every moment as if he's in grave job jeopardy. That's no stretch. Not known as a particularly inspiring speaker before games, often neglecting to rally his veterans altogether against inferior competition, it's imperative for Van Gundy to be on the alert in this series.
Just in case he's lacking for motivational mumbo jumbo, Van Gundy might want to invoke the following issues:
For instance, Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell might want to know Steve Smith humbly accepted an Atlanta writer's recent opinion that he's the NBA's elite off-guard.
At the same time, Van Gundy might want to plant a rumor in Ewing's mind that Mutombo was part of the group that barred the union president from the final collective bargaining session with the league.
Then there's the Mutombo-Chris Childs conflict to reheat and rehash. A shrewd coach might want to remind his bridgework-challenged point guard he's already over the under-the-pillow limit with the tooth fairy.
Van Gundy would be remiss if he failed to accentuate Mookie Blaylock's penchant for poor shooting and bad decision-making (for the benefit of Childs and Charlie Ward) that has elevated him to the top of the Knicks' off-season playmaker wish list. Impress upon those two they're not the only ones qualified to charm us with that kind of a show.
Finally, Van Gundy must underline the Hawks' neutral-site (Georgia Dome) advantage. The last time they enjoyed a home-court edge this late in the playoffs, they were in St Louis.
From what I'm told, excitement in Atlanta is at an all-time feeble pitch. Tickets are a premium. The Hawks' most creative promotion: Buy none, get one free.
Make no mistake about Van Gundy's circumstance, there's no gray area: Had Riley's regular-season overachievers prevailed, Van Gundy would be the ex-coach of the Knicks today. Should the Hawks beat Van Gundy's regular season underachievers, he deserves to be fired.
In other words, Rudy Crew still has more job security than Van Gundy.
Rick Adelman got absolutely no consideration for coaching honors this season despite leading the Kings to their best record in 17 years, good for sixth place in the West. This feat was accomplished despite the fact Adelman had no prior history with the team and only one week of training camp to familiarize himself with them, and them with each other; Corliss Williamson, Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Lawrence Funderburke were the lone returnees.
The Kings owe their success to Adelman. He put rookie Jason Williams in charge of tempo and let him strut his stuff, allowing the league's Funkmaster Pass and his teammates to make mistakes and learn on the job without deflating their confidence.
Letting the Kings play was Adelman's biggest strength. In Game 5 against the Jazz, it became his greatest flaw. At the end of regulation – but particularly in overtime – when it became essential to make strategic substitutions or defensive adjustments, or just plain replace someone because his legs were limp and his wind was gone, Adelman was awful.
In the end, Adelman ignored who brought the Kings to national TV. He kept Williams' imagination on the bench far too long. He slighted Abdul-Wahad's defensive instincts when they were desperately needed. And he overlooked the importance of Williamson's strength and scoring.
At first glance and in the final analysis, Adelman rode horses that already had decided to quit, and didn't have the aptitude to recognize it. Aside from doing his team and its fans a terrible disservice, Adelman robbed us all of the privilege of seeing more fast- break basketball, the way it's meant to be played.
For the fifth straight season, Grant Hill was unsuccessful in leading his team either into the playoffs, or past the first round. While his deft versatility is indisputable, clearly it's time to reappraise his label as a franchise player.
Or relocate the person (GM Rick Sund) responsible for surrounding him with quasi-talent the last few years before Hill's contract expires at the end of next season, and more appealing teams get the opportunity to romance him.
How do you find fault with a guy who produced 21 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in Game 5? Easy. It's immaterial who's alongside Hill, if he's incapable of willing the Pistons to glory in one must-win game against the domesticated Hawks, neither the Pistons nor Sprite are getting their money's worth.
ALONZO WANTS TO STAND PAT


text:
The Dark and Divisive History of America's Thanksgiving Hymn
How a beloved song with origins in 16th-century Europe captures both a holiday's spirit of unity and a country's legacy of exclusion
By Neil J. Young
A family says grace before Thanksgiving dinner in the 1930s. (Bettmann / Getty)
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, millions of Americans in their churches and community celebrations will sing the hymn that has become the de facto anthem of the holiday. "We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing," reads the opening stanza of the familiar song, a line that suggests the pluralistic and communal spirit Americans associate with Thanksgiving. As Pilgrims and Native Americans once dined together, so the myth goes, Americans of all races, religions, and creeds still unite to celebrate the country that welcomes everyone.
Yet the opening line of "We Gather Together," seemingly an apt expression of inclusiveness and shared thankfulness, momentarily distracts from the larger, quieter message the hymn contains. The song's lyrics, as well as the dark history that inspired them, point to the sinister tradition of violence and expulsion that also runs through the nation's story, present even in that first Thanksgiving observation.
Though many now see it as a quintessentially American creation, "We Gather Together" actually originated from the religious strife of 16th-century Europe. Following the 1597 Battle of Turnhout, where a Dutch army led by Prince Maurice of Orange defeated Spanish occupying forces in an area now part of Belgium, the poet Adrianus Valerius wrote "Wilt Heden nu Treden" to commemorate the victory, setting the words to an old Dutch folk melody. During the occupation, Dutch Protestants had been barred by the Catholic King Philip II of Spain from meeting with one another for worship. So the gathering together that the song celebrated represented not only the end of religious persecution for the Dutch, but also the reestablishment of sectarian uniformity through the removal of heretical outsiders.
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The Pilgrims, who would arrive in Holland shortly after, probably heard the song during their brief time there. But they were unlikely to have brought it with them to Plymouth, as their strict religious practice meant they sang only psalms directly from the Bible. Instead, the song made its way to this continent with the Dutch who settled in New Amsterdam in the early 1600s, becoming a cherished hymn that generations of Dutch Americans in the Midwest passed down through the centuries and still sung in their native tongue.
The song's English version—and its connection to Thanksgiving—came from Theodore Baker, an American music scholar who encountered its German translation while studying at the University of Leipzig in the 1870s. In 1894, shortly after his return to the United States, Baker translated the hymn into English, naming it "Prayer of Thanksgiving." Starting in the early 1900s, Christian denominations began to include it in their hymnbooks.
That song's new title established its association with the holiday, but World War I and, especially, World War II secured its popularity. Where the hymn's mention of "the wicked oppressing" referred to the Spanish Catholics in the original Dutch version, Americans began to sing it with the threat of German Nazis in mind, as the music scholar Michael Hawn has argued. The song's request, "O Lord, make us free," voiced the plea of a country at war. And once victory had been won, the song offered an expression of gratitude while also evoking America's strongest sense of itself as God's chosen nation: "Sing praises to His name, He forgets not his own."
Born out of a 16th-century battle and finding its permanent cultural status in 20th-century U.S. conflicts, the hymn has connections to war that mirror Thanksgiving's own link to military strife. While Americans remember the original 1621 Thanksgiving (of which there exists only two primary-source accounts) in their celebrations each year, most have forgotten that it was the Civil War that led to the official holiday. With a country torn apart, President Abraham Lincoln had declared the last Thursday of November in 1863 "as a day of thanksgiving and praise" to promote unity. But his proclamation acknowledged that it would take the "advancing armies and navies of the Union" and a conquered Confederacy to bind the nation together again.
If war gave Thanksgiving and its unofficial hymn their meaning, it was in the seeming domestic tranquility and relative peacetime abundance of the 1950s that "We Gather Together" reached its cultural apex. Newspapers from the time reveal countless stories of the song being performed to commemorate Thanksgiving at church services, school assemblies, and community pageants across the country. "Nothing is more widely loved," The New York Times remarked in 1956, than the tradition of singing "We Gather Together" to begin Thanksgiving festivities. At a time when many Protestants and Catholics were caught up in the ecumenical movement to promote Christian unity, the song appeared to represent a spirit of interfaith communion, despite its anti-Catholic origins. And with another war, albeit a "cold" one, shaping the American imagination, singing the hymn as an interreligious anthem of national harmony could be seen as offering a rebuke to the godless Soviets.
Of course, whatever postwar consensus that may have existed at mid-century could not contain the coming reckoning with one of the nation's deepest sins. In that context, singing "We Gather Together" represented a cruel fantasy in a nation where law and custom segregated white and black Americans. But the song, much like its associated holiday, has often served more for mythmaking than for truth-telling. Indeed, the American celebration of national cohesion at Thanksgiving has always required overlooking how much of the country's history of gathering together has also depended on equal measures of exclusion and expulsion.
Can a holiday heal a nation? Can a song? Perhaps those questions never had greater urgency than in 1963 when Thanksgiving fell less than a week after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In his first address to a joint session of Congress the day before Thanksgiving, the new president, Lyndon B. Johnson, quoted the opening line of "We Gather Together" to call for solidarity in a time of tragedy. Newspapers such as The Chicago Defender printed the song in full, explaining, "His death has cast deep shadows of gloom. … We can only repeat the words of this Hymn." (Perhaps this connection is why Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis would choose "We Gather Together" as the processional hymn for her funeral in 1994.)
It's worth noting that the song found its place in U.S. culture at a time when Christians made up a much larger portion of the population than they do now (91 percent in 1948 compared with 71 percent today). As a result, "We Gather Together" can't be taken for granted as a hymn that will necessarily be meaningful to a vast majority of the country—ironically, a natural outcome of living in a pluralistic society.
Although the nation's divisions today don't match those of 1863, nor do its traumas compare with those of 1963 (after Kennedy's assassination), the ties that bind in this Thanksgiving season may feel particularly fragile. Many Americans continue to sing "We Gather Together" each November, but they do so in a nation increasingly riven by hardened political polarization and social stratification. "He chastens and hastens His will to make known," reads the second line of the Thanksgiving hymn. Reflecting more on those words, Americans might hear the song not as an encouragement for self-satisfied celebration, but rather as a much-needed call to self-correction.