Van de graaff generator, Leyden jars and capacitance How will the capacitance of a typical desktop van de graaff generator be affected when connected in series to a group of some 5-10 Leyden jars?
I know that the capacitance is decreased in series combination but why do people say that a van de graaff generator can get fairly dangerous when connected to even a single Leyden jar? What do they mean? 
Moreover why are we suggested not to touch a charged Leyden jar which is a small capacitor while nobody tells us not to touch the dome of a charged van de graaff generator (desktop version)which can be at a very high potential (~200,000V)?
Please answer in detail.
Any suggestion is of great help to me.
 A: A leyden jar is a storage capacitor which can withstand very large voltages. A van de graaf generator is a charge pump which can generate large voltages, but at very small currents.  When you connect a van de graaf to a leyden jar, the jar accumulates the energy output of the van de graaf generator and stores it up. Because the internal impedance of the leyden jar is small, it is capable of then discharging a large amount of current in a very short time. Since power is voltage times current, the instantaneous power developed by a discharging leyden jar is big enough to be lethal even though the van de graaf generator operating at the same voltage (but very small current) is not. 
Of course, a large enough van de graaf generator could in principle furnish enough current to kill a human. Do not try this at home!
A: The capacitance of a dome of 20 cm radius is about 20 pF, whereas the capacitance of a typical Leyden jar is 1 nF. So attaching a Leyden jar to a van de graaff generator increases the charge 50 times. 
