Hyperphysics site
Princeton University VdG site. Where it all began:
The Wiki article on Van de Graaffs. Be careful with anything you read in wikis as the people writing them don't always know what they are talking about, but often a good resource.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_de_Graaff_generator
A great VdG resource page in the amasci.com website. Lots of information about using VdGs and dealing with humidity issues. The suppliers list gives prices for cheap models and kits from 1997, for some reason. Almost 20 years old so out of date.
http://amasci.com/emotor/vdg.html
This link goes directly to a discussion on how Van de Graaffs develop a charge and drive it up the belt. Very clear and accurate description and good diagrams of a charging process that is more complex, and more elegant, than it seems at first.
http://amasci.com/emotor/belt.html
Watch as the Mythbusters, very skilled builders, basically crash and burn in their attempt to construct a good Van de Graaff. The thing they make is gigantic, and mechanically sound, but the devil is in VdG details, and they miss those completely. The result is a monster machine that produces sparks only about 1" long.
I have been asked by Maya to include a link to this Van de Graaff escape planning exercise from Maya and Phoebe's Feline Journal of F.I.S.H. (Feline Industry, Science, and Health)
Despite the good safety record of VdGs to date, safety considerations are not something that can be neglected. Please do not exceed your level of understanding, and beware of hazards that even the tiny currents produced by VdGs (about 10 µA) can potentially cause. For more on safety, see the upcoming post on that topic in this blog.
A British site discussing safety
