Filling Jar with smoke to

demonstrate how electric

charges precipitate and
dissipate smoke. When
static machine is operated
and electrodes in glass jar
charged, the rod electrode
will repel smoke particles
toward oppositely charged
ilat electrode c a u s i n g
smoke to disappear.

losopher, Thales, noticed

that if he rubbed a piece
of amber with wool, the
amber attracted bits of
straw and other light
material. It is doubtful
if he knew that rubbing
the amber produced a
static-electric charge on
the surface of this mate-
rial, causing an attrac-
tion for other material

Building a "Wimshurst"
(normally having an op-
posite charge), and that
he in all probability was
the discoverer of static
electricity.

Static Machine
Part 2. How to make accessories for the static
Craft Print
Project No. 279
Benjamin Franklin did
considerable experiment-
ing with electricity in
the static field, and found
that if two pieces of
material were rubbed to-
machine to demonstrate static-electric phenomena gether, one p i e c e ac-

A
FTER completing the Wimshurst static
machine as described in part 1 (S&M
April '58) several accessories will be
needed to conduct experiments and demonstrate
the phenomena of static electricity.
Static electricity, incidentally, was discovered
way back around 600 B. C, when the Greek phi-

This interesting pattern oi discharges gives a pic-

turesque demonstration of how electricity always
takes the path of least resistance, or through the foil
(see Fig. 16), jumping the spaces rather than jump-
ing across the ball gap where it would have to
overcome air resistance.

SCIENCE AND MECHANICS

quired a positive and the that electricity follows
other a negative charge. the path of least resist-
He also discovered that ance, can be accom-
atmospheric electricity plished by making the
(lightning) and static accessory shown in Fig.
electricity were the same. 16. Make sure that plus
"Static" refers to elec- and minus brass strips
tricity at rest, compared are in good contact with
to "current" electricity the aluminum-foil pieces
(ordinary power type) at the ends. Photographs
which flows t h r o u g h of this experiment, taken
some form of suitable in a darkened room are
conductor. When two shown in Fig. 1B of Part
pieces of material are 1 and Fig. 15.
rubbed together, elec- Electric "Whirl." Op-
trons (negative charges) eration of the whirl Fig.
are rubbed off one and 17 (made as in Fig. 18),
deposited on the other. is based on the fact that
The material losing elec- the density of the charge
trons becomes deficient at the pointed ends of
the pivoted arms is so
great that the air mole-
cules in the immediate
vicinity become charged.
These charged air par-
ticles are known as "ions." Those becoming of
like charge repel one another as well as causing
repulsion between them and the arm tips. This
force of mutual repulsion causes the arms to ro-
tate at high speed (Fig. 17). It should be remem-

Electrostatic energy activating a pair of pivoted

arms, produces an interesting twin whirl. Plastic is
used for base and shafts support to insulate metal
from ground.
in electrons, thereby leaving a surplus of protons
(positive charges), and the piece becomes posi-
tively charged. The piece acquiring the additional
or an excess of electrons in its atomic structure, Steel ball in a plastic tube demonstrates repulsion
becomes negatively charged. and attraction. The ball on touching a charged ter-
minal acquires a like charge and is repelled toward
This Wimshurst static machine is designed to the oppositely charged terminal which attracts it.
provide a constant source of static electricity at The ball then receives a like charge and is again
a potential up to about 60,000 volts. This high repelled, repeating its cycle of repulsion and attrac-
voltage, however, is quite harmless since the cur- tion as long as terminals remain charged.
rent involved is very small. Nevertheless, quite
a shock can be felt if the two spark-gap balls or
rods are touched when the condensers (Leyden
jars) are charged. It is, therefore, advisable to
discharge the condensers after each experiment
by pushing the balls togther by means of the
insulated handles. High humidity conditions
prevent building up static charges. This can be
minimized by wiping the plastic terminal strip
of the machine with a dry cloth, and wiping both
disc surfaces by lightly applying a dry cloth
while operating the machine.
Illuminated Letters and Lightning Effect. An
interesting and picturesque experiment, proving

JUNE, 1958 145

 21. Here again, the ball receives the same charge
as the spark-gap ball it touches and is imme-
diately repelled; performing in the same manner
as ball in tube. Proof that condensers, or capac-
itors as they are often called, store electrical
energy can be demonstrated by stopping the
machine. The pendulum will continue to swing
until the condensers have exhausted their stored
energy. To operate, start machine and gently
move pendulum ball in contact with a spark-gap
ball. The pendulum arm must swing quite freely
with a minimum of friction.
Smoke Elimination and Precipitation. Com-
mercial smoke precipitation can be duplicated
A swinging pendu- in miniature with a glass jar containing suitable
lum with a metal electrodes as in Fig. 23. Drilling or grinding the
ball attached is an- hole in the glass jar for the rod electrode is not
other version of difficult when done on the drill press. Cut off a
demonstrating re-
pulsion and attrac- short piece of brass tube squarely and saw a
tion, operating on notch across the tube end about 1/4-in. deep (Fig.
the same electric 28). Set your drill-press speed to about 1275 rpm.
principle as ball in
tube (Fig. 19). Apply coarse carborundum valve-grinding com-
pound liberally and drill, feeding compound
bered in this and around drill and using light pressure. No sharp-
subsequent ex- ening of drill is necessary, the important thing
periments that like being to keep compound in contact with drill
charges always re- face, it being the compound and not the brass
pel; unlike charges tube that does the actual drilling or grinding. To
attract. To operate form the copper screening, first wrap around a
the whirl, attach 3/32 in. dia. rod, squeeze tightly around rod and
lead wires with allow sharp ends to project outward as in Fig.
"alligator" clips at 23. Press over rod electrode from open end of
both ends to pivots jar. The rubber grommet in hole will keep rod
and spark-gap rods
of machine. After
a few seconds of
operating machine,
condensers will be
charged and arms
rotate. It is important that arms balance on
pointed pivots, and that spark-gap balls are far
apart to prevent a spark discharge. To make the
pivot depressions, use a center punch lightly so
as not to puncture the metal.
Activated Ball. Repulsion and attraction can
be demonstrated in an experiment with a steel
ball in a plastic tube (Fig. 19). Make the ac-
cessory as detailed in Fig. 20. To operate, remove
the spark-gap-ball assembly and clamp brass
strips of accessory in spark-gap terminal posts.
Start machine and, if necessary, tip slightly so
that ball rolls in contact with a strip. Tube should
be clamped level. With the machine operating
and the ball contacting one metal strip, the ball
receives a like charge as the strip is repulsed
toward the opposite strip having opposite polar-
ity and thereby attracting the ball. On contact,
the ball receives the strip's charge and is again
repelled, traveling back and forth as it receives
like charges from opposite strips.
Electrostatic Pendulum. Another experiment
in attraction and repulsion can be achieved with
a free-swinging pendulum built as shown in Fig.
22 and mounted on the machine as in Fig.

146 SCIENCE AND MECHANICS

 When static machine is operated charging hollow-
cylinder, electroscope outside of cylinder (above)
separate. Electroscope inside cylinder remains at
rest, proving that charge exists only on outer surface
of hollow cylinder.
in place if it is a tight fit. Flat electrode is held
in place by aluminum jar clamp.
The positive-rod electrode, containing copper
screening with open ends or points, causes the
minute particles of matter (mostly carbon com-
posing smoke) suspended between the electrodes
to become positively charged. And, being repel-
led toward the flat or negative electrode, are
deposited thereon, thus eliminating the smoke.
Some commercial smoke-elimination processes
collect these carbon deposits as a carbon-black
by-product. To operate, connect clip leads as in
Fig. 14. Widely separate spark-gap balls, and
blow smoke into glass jar. Start machine and in

Left, to more dramatically demonstrate a few seconds the

repulsion, a plume consisting of strips smoke will have
of paper is attached to top of cylinder. disappeared, leav-
Plume is at rest indicating no charge
on cylinder. ing a deposit on
the flat electrode.
Below, left, when the cylinder is E lectroscope.
charged, the individual strips are vio- One experiment
lently repelled because each strip has which proves that
received a like charge.
an electric charge
on any hollow con-
Below, if a grounded object, such as
your finger tips comes near the strips ductor, such as a
of paper, they will be attracted to the cylinder or ball,
finger tips, demonstrating that opposite will invariably
charges attract. travel to the outer
surface, can be
achieved by mak-
ing the accessory
shown in Fig. 25.
To operate, attach
the two electro-
scope units of .001-
in. or thinner sheet
brass with Scotch
tape to the bracket
supports and
slightly bend apart.
Adjust spark-gap
balls on machine

JUNE, 1958 147

widely apart and attach a clip lead to right-
hand spark-gap rod and aluminum cylinder
(Fig. 24). Start the machine and you will find
that the brass strips attached to the outside
surface of the cylinder will separate (repulsion),
while those on the inside will not, proving that
the outside strips only are receiving a charge of
electricity.
Electric "Plume." An interesting demonstration
of static charges involving repulsion and attrac-
tion can be achieved by removing the brass strips
from the electroscope and attaching a bundle of
thin soft paper strips to the brass rod (Fig. 25A).
The paper strips are best cut from facial tissue,
about 3/16-in. wide, and so arranged around the
rh, screw to form a plume (Fig. 26). When the
machine is operated, the paper strips will rise
and widely separate (Fig. 27). If the machine is
stopped, the strips will fall slowly as the charge
in the condensers gradually dissipates (Fig. 26).
Another experiment with the same equipment
is to hold your fingers, partly closed, over the
plume with machine in motion. The strips will
reach up and attach themselves to your finger
tips (Fig. 28). In the first instance, the like
charges on the paper strips caused repulsion,
spreading each strips away from its neighbor. In
the latter experiment, your fingers, being of nega-
tive potential through ground, and the strips
being positively charged, attraction by unlike
charges resulted.
Blowing a Candle Flame. You can observe an
electric "wind" effect from pointed conductors
near a lighted candle (Fig. 29). Remove the
spark-gap-ball assembly and attach a piece of
stranded wire to the right-hand spark-gap ter-
Demonstration of an interesting electric "wind" illu-
sion. The density of the charge at the ends of the
frayed wire results in charging the molecules of air
on one side of the candle flame with the same charge
as the wire, repelling the molecules. In addition, the
carbon particles in the flame receive a like charge
and are repelled also, which probably accounts for
most of the blowing illusion.
148
Normally, a fat spark would jump the ball gap when
machine is in operation. But because of the pointed
pin attached to one ball, the charges developed fol-
low the path of least resistance (the pin) and are dis-
sipated. No spark occurs because voltage is not
high enough. This experiment demonstrates the ac-
tion of a lightning rod attracting a lightning bolt
and carrying it safely to ground.
minal. Fan out the wire strands and place a
lighted candle near the wire ends. Start machine
and candle flame will move away from the wire
as if blown by a breeze (Fig. 32). Actually, how-
ever, carbon particles in the flame becoming posi-
tively charged, are being repelled by the positive
charges at the ends of the wire.
Lightning Rod. Lightning rods, with their
pointed ends, on buildings serve to draw electric
charges (lightning bolts) from the atmosphere
to the ground harmlessly. You can demonstrate
this on the machine with a pin soldered to a
piece of spring brass clipped to one of the spark-
gap balls (Fig. 30). Place the balls about % in.
apart and start machine. The usual spark will
not jump the gap. The discharges are picked up
by the pointed end of the pin and, assuming this
pole of the machine is ground, the discharges
would be sent to ground. Actually, a real light-
ning bolt of many millions of volts would be
visible as a flash from source to lightning rod,
the latter affording the shortest path to ground.
Let it be said, however, that an elaborate and
scientifically designed system of lightning rods is
necessary to adequately protect buildings from
Nature's most ppwerful artillery.
Building this Wimshurst static machine is an
excellent project for a science class or individual
experimenter and the cost will be much less than
a manufactured one.
Space does not permit the inclusion of many
other fascinating electrical experiments possible
with the Wimshurst static machine, and access-
ories which the science teacher and student can
undoubtedly make.—HAROLD P. STRAND.
• Craft Prints in enlarged size for electrical equipment
are available at $1.50 each. Order by print number. To
avoid possible loss of coin or currency in the mails, we
suggest you remit by check or money order. (No C.O.D.'s
or stamps). Now available, our new illustrated catalog of
"186 Do It Yourself Plans," IOC. SCIENCE AND MECHANICS,
450 East Ohio Street, Chicago 11, Illinois. Please allow
three to four weeks for delivery.
SCIENCE AND MECHANICS