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Electrostatic Generator
The electrophorus is thus actually a manually operated electrostatic generator, using the
same principle of electrostatic induction as electrostatic machines such as the Wimshurst
machine and the Van de Graaf generator.
Materials:
Procedure
_
| | Handle
| |
=================== Foil-covered cardboard
Operation
NOTE: When holding the disk by its handle, your fingers on the handle should be some
distance away from the foil wrapped up over the edges.
• Place your "easily charged object" on a table and rub its surface with the
"charging item" to charge it well.
• Holding the cardboard/foil disk by the handle, place it upon the charged surface
of the object, foil side down.
• With the disk still on the charged surface, touch the foil to allow it to steal charge
from your body. You'll feel a tiny spark.
finger
\\ _
\\ | | Handle
\\ | |
>TOUCH!< =================== Foil-covered cardboard
|_____________|
Charged item
• Now, while holding the disk only by the insulating handle, lift it from the charged
surface.
• The disk is now charged!
• Even though it has been used to charge the foil, the charged object still remains
fully charged. It need not be rubbed for a while and can be used to charge the foil
plate again and again.
• This is possible since the charging of the foil DID NOT remove any charge from
the charged object. How? The charged object in this generator acts more like a
magnet than like a source of energy, and it does not lose its strength when it
attracts charge into the foil.
• From where does the electrical energy come? It comes from the work your arm
did in pulling the foil disk away from the charged surface.