Ogden Daily Standard | 1917-10-20 | Page 29 | An Electrical Experiment

p AN ELECTRICAL EXPERDIEXT. ELECTRICAL experiments are always al-ways of interest, not only to the learned who work in laboratories, but also to tho average person. By means of the apparatus described below an electric spark can be obtained in the simplest way imaginable, by any one, wllh very little expense of time or trouble. A strip of tinfoil Is fastened around tho center of a common lamp chimney, and then a straight strip of the same material is pasted on the chimney from ono end of tho same to within one-third of an inch of the ring. Then a piece of silk is wrapped around a brush, to clean the chimney and tho interior of tho chimney Is rubbed briskly; 'but tho fingers must not touch tho tinfoil. If this is done in the dark, each time that the. brush is withdrawn from the chimney a bright electric spark will bo seen to spring IH from one piece of the tinfoil to the oth- H Many other experiments of this kind H can be tried with this simple appa- IH . ratus. For example, it may be shown H that pbor conductors can bo electrified H by rubbing; further, that good conduc- jf tors can carry the electricity from an IH electrified body to one which has not been .charged with electricity, and finally the power of bodies charged H with the same kind of electricity to re- IJ pel each other can be Illustrated in the following manner: H Bind a woolen thread (or better still an iron or brass wire) over the tin- jJ foil ring, and on the end of this hang little strips of thin paper. If the interior of the chimney is now rubbed, the silk-covered brush being introduced at the opposite side to that into which it was formerly ! placed, the ring of tinfoil is charged ! with electricity, which is conducted by IH f the thread or wire to the strips of pa- IH per, which fly apart. jf As in all such experiments, the loss IH of electricity through dampness must IH be avoided. This can be done by thor- IH oughly drying the brush, the silk and the chimney at the fire before trying the experiment. . t mmt