heating 800 watts nichrome wire with a battery.

totoykabute

hi guys.. i'm new here and this is my first post.. my friends told me that the title of this post is impossible and i need a car battery to heat the 800W nichrome wire, and i believe them.. they also said that AC will solve the problem.. but i need to use DC so i came up with using diodes.. the problem is the setup.. i'm not familiar on how to connect those stuffs so anyone here who have a heart to help a dumb like me.. just a simple diagram using a 800 watts nichrome wire, a plug, and diodes.. i'm afraid i might create a bomb so please do help me.. thank you in advance..

jim hardy

Yes the wall plug can electrocute you.

A car battey can explode which will spray battery acid in your face.

A red hot nichrome wire near upholstery or plastic underhood parts can start a fire,

what is it you are trying to accomplish? Maybe someone can help.

sophiecentaur

What do you need 800W of hot wire for? Sounds a bit 'industrial'.

totoykabute

i just want to heat the nichrome wire using direct current to compute the temperature it can produce and not to heat something.. my problem is a safe setup of heating the 800watts nihrome wire using DC..

Integral

The wattage developed by your wire will depend upon the voltage applied. At what voltage does it generate 800W? What you really need to know is the resistance of the wire. Given that we could tell you more.

NascentOxygen

Why not buy a factory-made one which is connected up and ready to go? That way you don't need to risk safety with dodgy wiring. It's a simple electric toaster.

sophiecentaur

For a lab experiment you can get excellent results with 24W from a 12V source. Easier and safer. 1kg of water is about right.

if you just want to get the wire hot then you really don't want to have a damned great lethal coil of red hot wire to deal with. Do it with a short length and a low voltage (C cell), briefly. How would you plan to measure the temperature? In air it should get red hot - what temperature would that represent?

jehan60188

power: P = V*V/R
resistivity: p = R*A/L

measure your wire's diameter, and look up it's resistivity, and you'll be set

also, doesn't PF not deal with dangerous topics? shouldn't this topic be locked?

sophiecentaur

I'm inclined to agree with you. (Do as I say, not as I did?)

jehan60188

it's not a matter of "do as I say not as i did" so much as "do it the right way"
there is a right way for amateurs to experiment with high voltage, high temperature, highly acidic compounds, etc. they first need to do research- in books!
a forum is NOT the place to learn things; the internet barely is.

sophiecentaur

You are right of course. You certainly can't believe what you see with experiments on YouTube and any idiot could be giving advice in a forum.

(I'm glad that you were so well behaved in your youth. Wot, not a single scar?)

totoykabute

thanks for the replies..
@Integral- i bought the nichrome wire with its wattage already set..
@sophiecentaur- i can't find a 24W nichrome wire.. suppose i cut the 800W nichrome wire, will that reduce the wattage?..

NascentOxygen

Is this a roll of uninsulated wire? How many metres long? Can you unwind a few metres and determine its resistance/metre? If not, why not?

sophiecentaur

I think he understands so little about this that it is clearly dangerous for him to continue with it. He appears not to have a clue. Steer clear.