Cylinder-type Electrostatic Machine
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: People from ancient times knew that rubbing certain materials and then touching something caused a spark. Studying what is called electrostatics laid the groundwork for understanding electricity and magnetism. Natural philosophers, scientists, and instrument makers created many ingenious devices to generate electrostatic charges starting in the 1600s. These machines varied in size and technique but all involved rotary motion to generate a charge, and a means of transferring the charge to a storage device for use.
label: Description (Brief)
content: This incomplete unit shows the basic design of a typical 19th century cylinder machine, although the rubbing pad and collector are missing. Little is known of this machine’s background but it does demonstrate the international nature of scientific research. A label on the unit reads: “Swiss Section / Department III / Classe 300 / No. [104?] / Erziehungsdirection des Cantons / Bern.” A second label reads: “Exhibitor: The Board of Education of the Canton / of Bern” and the equivalent text in German and French. Stamped on the end of the base may be a reference to a maker: "G. Kupfer".
label: Description (Brief)
content: During the 1750s electrical researchers refined the design of electrostatic machines by replacing earlier spherical globes with a glass cylinder, a design used for many years. This change increased the surface area of the glass in contact with the rubbing pad and improved the efficiency of the generator.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
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content: Science & Mathematics
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content: Electrostatic Machines
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.312807
label: catalog number
content: 312807
label: accession number
content: 167187
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cylinder-type frictional electrostatic machine
label: Object Name
content: electrostatic generator
label: Other Terms
content: cylinder-type frictional electrostatic machine; Electrostatic Devices
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: felt (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 1/2 in x 30 3/4 in x 11 1/2 in; 39.37 cm x 78.105 cm x 29.21 cm