Experiment Ea-22
Wimshurst Machine
Description: The
Wimshurst Machine carries out charging by induction automatically. Two
large insulated discs carrying symetrically placed aluminum foil sectors are
rotated about a common axis in opposite directions.
Picture
of the Wimshurst Machine,
The charging process is
illustrated below. Suppose that sector A is momentarily positive. Opposite
charges ar ethen induced on opposite ends of the connecting link I and the sectors
it joins on teh other disc, due to the electric field of A. The positively
charged sector B then moves close to the connecting link II on the first disc
and induces opposite charges on the two sectors at the ends of this connecting
link. Sector C is then positive and moves to play the role that sector
A originally had. The positive charges are then carried to the other electrode.
Illusration
of the chargin process.
SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS
Be sure to discharge Wimshurst Machine before touching any metal components of it.
This page was last updated on
Thursday August 21, 2008 7:54 AM
