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The coil is a compact, electrical transformer that boosts the
battery's 12 volts to as high as 20,000 volts. The incoming 12 volts
of electricity pass through a primary winding of about 200 turns of
copper wire that raises the power to about 250 volts. Inside the
distributor, this low-voltage circuit is continuously broken by the
opening and closing of the points, each interruption causing a
breakdown in the coil's electromagnetic field. Each time the field
collapses, a surge of electricity passes to a secondary winding made
up of more than a mile of hair-like wire twisted into 25,000 turns.
At this point, the current is boosted to the high voltage needed for
ignition and is then relayed to the rotor.
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