SOL 2: The Tesla Coil

I was walking back from the science rooms, holding a white cardboard box.  I could feel the object inside as I walked back into the classroom. I plopped the box on my desk, and opened it up. Inside was a mostly cylindrical black object, with a hole on one end and a cord coming out the other. Wow! What in the heck is this? I thought to myself. 

I slid a metal piece into the hole, and picked it up. I took the object over to Linda, and she plugged it in. The machine started crackling, and I slowly moved my finger towards the metal point. An inch-long spark shot into my finger, and I jerked it away! Wow, again! This time a lot of people said it. There were a few people watching, and they asked if it hurt. I said no, and then they tried it. More and more joined the group, and soon almost the whole class had given themselves a shock. "What is that?" they asked. "It is a 20,000 volt tesla coil." I replied. That made for a fun morning, of shocks, twitches, and sparks.