Electrostatics—Multi-Demonstration Kit

Product Details

• Charging a Flask Form Electroscope—Verify the existence and properties of static electric charge. Demonstrate charging the electroscope by conduction and by induction.
• Electrophorus and Condensing Electroscope—Show how much greater amounts of charge can be stored using an electrophorus and a condensing electroscope.
• Charge Distribution and Discharge—Use two condensing electroscopes to show how charges distribute and how a lightning rod works.
• Faraday’s Cage and “Ice Pail”—Show students how charge accumulates on the outside of a conducting shell.
• Curving Water into a Beaker—“Bend” a stream of water using an externally charged object, proving that water molecules are polar.

For more advanced classes, the electrophorus and condensing electroscope together provide a great working example of capacitance. Includes detailed instructions and reproducible student worksheets for each demonstration.

Concepts: Static electricity, positive and negative charges, electroscopes, electrophorus, Faraday cage, repulsive forces, induction, conduction.
Time Required: 35 minutes
Materials Provided: Aluminum foil, pin, plastic tubing, PVC tubes, comb, electrophorus disks, Erlenmeyer flasks, rod-hook-rubber stopper assemblies, friction pads, friction rods, insulated electrophorus disk handles, self-adhesive foot pads, insulating acrylic plate, metal strainer (Faraday cage), metal tube (“ice pail”), nut for disk handle, syringe, washer.