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Henley Electrometer
England?, 19th century
The electrometer would be set on an electrified object. It has a connector which can be set into a wooden base, as here, or inserted into the main terminal of an electrostatic generator. See here for an example of the latter use. The electrometer has a protractor, and a pith ball suspended by a thin piece of wood. As the terminal charges up, the pith ball and the upright wooden rod begin to repel electrostatically. The angle of repulsion can be measured with the protractor on the rod. The concept of "voltage" had not yet been defined, but electricians of the day knew that by charging the equipment until the electrometer reached the same angle, they could repeat an earlier experiment. |
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This was one of the early devices invented to give a measurement of
static electricity, not merely to indicate its existence.