June, 1934
A 40,000 -VOLT WIMSHURST
A front view of the Wimshurst machine.
THE Wimshurst machine, as described
last month, gives a continuous succes- charged with positive electricity. If an
sion of small thin sparks. An enhanced uncharged conductor B is brought near it, a
effect is produced by connecting a couple of
condensers to the terminals. These are
capable of accumulating the charges of
electricity until they are full, and then
discharging them suddenly in a violent blue
spark. This should on no account be taken
through any part of the body, or a severe
shock will be felt.
The type of condenser usually employed
is the Leyden jar, shown in Fig. 1. It is
quite easy to make from a jam -jar as
follows. Wash and dry the jar thoroughly,
and line it with tin -foil to about three-
quarters of the way up inside. The easiest
way to do this is to cut up several small
strips of " silver paper," and stick them in
with seccotine, one at a time, so that they
overlap one another. Then the outside of
the jar is coated to the same level, in the
same way. The cork, or vulcanite stopper,
carries a short brass rod with a ball on its
upper end. The lower end must make some
sort of metallic contact with the inner coat
of foil, the simplest way being by means
of a short chain.
Y
Fig. 3.-The two plates are represented by concentric circles for the
sake of simplicity, the back plate with its brushes being shaded.
PRACTICAL MECHANICS 403
MACHINE
By W. SHEPHERD, F.G.S. PART TWO
Simple but effective experiments that may be carried out with the
aid of a Wimshurst machine, constructional details of which were
given last month.
When two of these jars have is quite hard to turn the handle when it
been made, connect the brass rods is functioning well. This is due to the
or balls with the two terminals, electrical attraction between the various
or the comb -bearers, of the parts of the machine, and the extra energy
machine, and either earth their you have to employ to overcome this is
outer coats, or connect them to- the source of the electricity the machine
gether by standing both jars on produces.
the same strip of metal. The In the diagram (Fig. 3) the two plates
machine will now produce the are represented by concentric circles, for
large sparks at about one second the sake of simplicity, the back plate, with
intervals, the size (but not the its brushes, being shaded. The black lines
length) of the sparks, and the are the foils. Imagine the foil A to have a
interval, depending on the size of positive charge. Then foil C, being momen-
the Leyden jars used. tarily earthed on the side away from A by
The Principle of the Wimshurst the brush, acquires a negative charge, and
travels round to comb F', which collects it
Machine up. But before it gets there, it induces a
In Fig. 2, A is an insulated conductor positive charge in foil B', where that is
earthed by a brush, and B' moves round to
give up its charge to comb E. Thus there
is a continual multiplication of charges,
positive ones always moving towards the
combs E, E', and the negative ones to
F, F'.
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11111/ AW AMP
The Electroscope
ir A useful little instrument for testing
charges is the electroscope shown in Fig. 4.
The cork of a clean glass jar carries a brass
rod and ball, as in the case of the Leyden
jar. But the lower end of the rod supports
two strips of metal foil, which hang close
together. Gold leaf is the best substance to
use, though very thin " silver " or alumi-
nium paper will serve, provided the leaves
are long enough to hang down straight by
their own weight. If a charged conductor
is brought near to B, the leaves repel each
other, and fly apart. Charges can easily be
carried from one place to another on a meta;
ball held by an insulating handle, as shown
Fig. 1.-Deta Is Fig. 4.-The electroscope in Fig. 2. The vulcanite handle is taken
of a simple Ley- which is useful for testing from a wireless lead-in tube, and the brass
den jar. charges in the Wimshurst rod cemented in with sulphur. A good,
machine. round brass door -knob can be mounted in a
strange thing happens. Its neu- glass ink -well (the old-fashioned, solid,
trality is destroyed, and a nega- square type), and used for the same pur-
tive charge is found to be in- pose.
duced on the side nearest A, An interesting experiment can be per-
while its opposite side acquires formed with the Wimshurst machine, as
a positive charge ! If it is now follows. Disconnect the Leyden jars, and
moved away again, its two separate the knobs so that no spark will
charges " flow together " and pass. To one of the knobs attach a sharp
neutralise each other, and every- metal point, such as a gramophone needle,
thing is restored to its original with a small piece of wax, making sure that
condition. But suppose that there is metallic contact. Turn the machine,
F while near A, the positive side and a distinct " electrical wind " (consisting
of B is earthed by touching it of electrically -charged air and dust par-
with a finger. The positive ticles) can be felt blowing off the point of
charge disappears, and when it the needle 1 It will even blow out a candle
is removed from the vicinity of flame, or turn a small vane.
A, B is found to be negatively
charged. The important thing
is that though B has been given
I
an electrical charge, A has not
lost any of its original positive
charge. It looks like something
for nothing, though the new
electrical energy has really come
from the work done in removing IL
the two balls, which very slightly
attracted one another.
0
Fig. 2.-Charges can easily be carried from one place
It will be noticed in working to another on a metal ball held by an insulating handle
the Wimshurst machine that it as shown.
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