Capacitors and arcs

[Alberto]

Hello. I am learning about electricity. I see a lot of experiments where a high voltage capacitor is connected in parallel improving the arcs. How is it work?

Does it increase the current charging and discharging in pulses?

Thank you

[k42]

Parallel to... what?

If you have a low current high voltage DC supply like a rectified flyback transformer then you can get loud banging sparks instead of almost silent purple arcs, if you add a capacitor to the output. Make sure that it has high enough voltage rating.

Parallel to something else? What type of circuit are you talking about?

[Morvandium]

I'm also not sure exactly what setup you are talking about, as it could be many.

That said, when capacitors are put in parallel to each other, their capacitance values are added together.  Capacitors in series can handle greater voltage, but they have a lower overall capacitance.

How they function when wired in parallel to other components drastically changes based on the rest of the circuit.

[Paradox]

I'm pretty sure he is talking about resonant microwave oven transformer arcs.

[Alberto]

Hello.

Sorry. I didn´t see your answers.

Yes, I was taking about puttin in a high voltage flyback. It was what k42 said