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How does an electronic cigarette work? That`s a question that lots of people don`t seem to have a good answer to – and many of them, including scientists and journalists, really should know better. Luckily it`s not all that difficult to explain.
Electronic cigarettes are also called vapes, and that gives a big clue to how they work. The big white cloud they create isn`t smoke; it`s an aerosol made up of vapour and tiny droplets of liquid. All the electronics and other components inside an e-cig are there to create this aerosol out of the liquid in the tank.
Every e-cigarette has three main components: The battery, the tank and the atomiser. All of these come in a huge variety of types and sizes, and quite often you`ll see two or even all three combined into a single unit. However the device is put together, though, it will definitely have all three – otherwise it wouldn`t work. Here`s what they do.
Finally, most mods use removable batteries. These come in several sizes but almost all modern devices use the 18650 size. Removable batteries have several advantages. The obvious one is that if the batteries go flat, you can just change them and keep using the mod. This lets you quickly recharge the flat ones in a standalone charger.
Other tanks have the coil at the bottom of the tank, surrounded by a chimney leading to the mouthpiece. The wick leads out through small holes in the chimney, and the air holes are in the base of the tank. As long as there`s enough liquid in the tank to cover the wick holes, a partial vacuum inside prevents any escaping through the airholes.
The atomiser
The vapour is actually produced by a coil of wire or metal strip, wrapped round a wick. Modern wicks are usually made of cotton, but in the past silica, ceramic and even steel mesh have been used. In many ways this the simplest part of the device; the wick carries liquid to the coil which, heated by the battery, vaporises it.
Some atomisers are [rebuildable" – you have to make your own coil and wick. Others use disposable units which are simply unscrewed and replaced every week or two.
So how does it all work?
A fully set up e-cigarette has a charged battery, a tank full of juice and a coil. When you press the button (or take a puff, with the cheapest models) the battery starts feeding power to the coil. Because this is made of thin metal it quickly heats up, and so does the liquid in contact with it. Almost instantly, the coil is surrounded with a small, but dense, cloud of vapour.
When the vaper takes a puff air is drawn in through the air holes and over the coil. This pulls the vapour up to the mouthpiece, allowing more liquid to evaporate. The coil will carry on creating vapour until the airflow stops or it overtakes the wick`s ability to feed it liquid. Most vapers inhale for up to five or six seconds, and with a modern e-cig that can create a lot of vapour.
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Privacy statement: Your privacy is very important to Us. Our company promises not to disclose your personal information to any external company with out your explicit permission.