Spark Plugs

Claimed By Christopher Skretkowicz

Short Description of Topic

The Main Idea

Spark plugs are essentially what their namesake says they are: plugs that screw into the cylinders of an engine and produce sparks that ignite fuel in combustion engines. Spark plugs take advantage of Faraday's Law and induction to create large spikes of voltage that would otherwise be impossible to achieve with a regular 12 volt car battery.

A Mathematical Model

The primary physics equation used when analyzing spark plugs is Faraday's Law, which states [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{E} = -{{d\Phi_B} \over dt} \ }[/math], where [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{E} }[/math] is the emf produced from the time-varying magnetic flux Φ_B. The flux is given by [math]\displaystyle{ \int_{\Sigma} \mathbf{B} \cdot d\mathbf{A}. }[/math]

A Computational Model

Spark Plug Modeled in Car

Examples

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Connectedness

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History

The first known spark plug was invented by Étienne Lenoir as a part of the first internal combustion engine in 1860. The first spark plugs were very costly and unreliable, until in 1903 when Oliver Lodge created his spark plug and manufactured it throughout the United States.

See also

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Further reading

Books, Articles or other print media on this topic

External links

[1] history of spark plugs

References

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/magnetic/ignition.html

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/spark-plugs.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2udCm7DMzU