# Spherical capacitors and their discharge rates?

Imagine that you have 2 small metal spheres (about $$2\mathrm{cm}$$ diameter), which are set $$x\mathrm{mm}$$'s apart from each other, with only air in between. You start to charge the spheres, one positively and one negatively, continuously.

After a while, you would expect to see a spark between the spheres, and the sparks would be seen periodically as the spheres are still loaded with charge.

How do you think that the period of discharge (sparks) would change as the distance $$x$$ between the spheres increases? ($$x$$ is in creased to the point that the spheres are no longer able to discharge.)

• What are your ideas and the reasons for them? – Farcher Sep 21 '17 at 18:14
• Its for an experiment – Skkk Sep 22 '17 at 7:35
• Then start with a prediction which relates the frequency of sparking if the charging is done continuously using a Van de Graaff generator, the "fatness" of the sparks to the separation of the spheres. – Farcher Sep 22 '17 at 11:19