What is Van de Graaff Generator?
[[Image:Van de graaff generator sm.jpg|thumb|right|A Van de Graaff generator]] A '''Van de Graaff generator''' is an electrostatic [[machine]]. It uses a moving, nonmetallic belt to accumulate very high voltages on a hollow [[metal]] [[globe]]. Voltage differences achieved in modern Van de Graaff generators can reach 5 megavolts. Applications for these high [[voltage]] generators include driving [[X-ray]] tubes, accelerating electrons to sterilize food and process materials, and accelerating protons for [[nuclear physics]] experiments. The Van de Graaff generator can be thought of as a constant-current source connected in parallel with a [[capacitor]] and a very large [[electrical resistance]]. It is named after the [[United States|American]] [[physicist]] [[Robert Jemison Van de Graaff]], who built the first generators of this style in 1929. {{tech-stub}} [[Category:Machines]] [[Category:Electricity]]