Nichrome or copper wire?

Question

How to i get a spark out of copper or nichrome wire? Which will hold more electricity? If i connect one end of wire to one pole of a battery then connect the other pole of the battery to the wire (not the end of it but apart of the length) will that get a current running through the wire? How can i check if there is a current running through the wire? Thank you!

Oh one last question (not related, i am not making explosives!) I heard that non dairy coffee creamer is flammable and flour is as well, well which is more so? also is it only a certain type of flour? i think it really is amazing that people ingest this stuff, thats all.

Answer 1

You will get a bigger spark from the copper because nichrome is an iron based resistance wire and the voltage at the end will be higher.   If you contact the middle of the wire, then current will run from that point to the end on the other pole.  You can prove some kind of current is running with a compass because a magnetic field is formed on contact and collapses on disconnect, but you can only measure the current amount with a meter put in the circuit because DC from batteries does not make an alternating field to be detected with a clamp meter.

   Flour and many other dry substances (corn starch, powdered sugar, probably dry coffee creamer) will be explosive if they are dispersed in the air - which is hard to do as a planned explosive but dangerous when working.   If you would like proof of this, you can take a closed container like a large coffee can, metal chip can, etc., and make a hole in the bottom to fit the end of a small funnel through.  Put a 3-4' hose on the tip of the funnel and put a modest amount of flour (2-3 tablespoons) in the cone of the funnel.  Light a candle (like a votive or tea candle) and put it in the can, press the lid in place.  Quickly, so the candle doesn't use up much of the O2 inside, step back the length of the hose and blow hard in the hose.   Blowing will blast the flour in the air all over the inside of the can and when it reaches the candle flame, much of the flour will burn very rapidly and blast the lid in the air with a satisfying whomp.