The Electrophorus: A Simple

Electrostatic Generator

An electrophorus is a simple, high-voltage electrostatic generator that can be used to

demonstrate the power of an electrostatic charge, or to power the Soda Bottle
Electrostatic Motor. It is a capacitive generator used to produce electrostatic charge via
the process of electrostatic induction. It was invented in 1764 by Swedish professor
Johan Carl Wilcke but Italian scientist Alessandro Volta improved and popularized the
device in 1775. The electrophorus consists of a dielectric plate (originally a 'cake' of
resinous material like pitch or wax, but in modern versions plastic is used) and a metal
plate with an insulating handle. One of the largest examples of an electrophorus was
built in 1777 by German scientist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. It was 6 feet (2 m) in
diameter, with the metal plate raised and lowered using a pulley system. It could
reportedly produce 15 inch (38 cm) sparks. Lichtenberg used its discharges to create the
strange treelike marks known as Lichtenberg figures.

The Source of the Charge

Charge in the universe is conserved. This is simply a process for separating positive and
negative charges. One sign of charge ends up on the metal plate (or other storage
conductor), and other sign of charge is stored in other object after grounding (in the
earth or the person touching the metal plate). This separation takes work since the
lowest energy state is to have neutral objects. Work is done raising the charged metal
plate away from the oppositely charged resinous plate. This additional energy put into
the system is converted to potential energy in the form of charge separation (opposite
charges that were originally on the plate), so raising the metal plate actually increases
its voltage relative to the dielectic plate.

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:

• cardboard at least 8" square

• aluminum foil
• insulating material for handle: plastic or Styrofoam cup, or small Styrofoam block
• easily charged object: balloon, thick plastic sheet, plastic cutting board,
Styrofoam packing block, etc.
• charging item: artificial fur, wool sweater, wig, hair on your head (if clean), etc.

NOTE: You need a low-humidity day to operate the electrophorus successfully.

To test humidity:

• Rub your "easily charged object" with the "charging item."

• Determine whether the object has become charged by holding the charging item
close to the charged area on the charged object.
• If this makes the fibers of the charging item stand on end, then the humidity is
sufficiently low for your electrophorus to operate successfully.
• If the charged object does not raise the fibers, the humidity is too high. Wait for a
drier day, or go into an air-conditioned building and try again.

Procedure

• Cut a disk from the cardboard about 8" to 12" in diameter.

• Cover one side of the disk with aluminum foil.
• Fold the foil up over the other side of the disk so it partially covers it.
• With the disk positioned foil-side down, make a "handle" by taping or gluing your
chosen insulating material to the center of the remaining cardboard area on the
non-foil side.

_
| | 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.

What to Do with Your Charged Electrophorus

Each time you charge your electrophorus, you can use it to demonstrate the electrostatic
charge:

• Blink a small NE-2 neon bulb.

• Create small sparks.
• Pick up lint.
• Deflect the leaf of an electroscope.
• Charge a Leyden Jar capacitor.

Adapted from : www.discoverthis.com