|
 Electrostatic PinwheelPinwheel with Sparking Column European, later 19th century The electrostatic pinwheel works like a tiny jet engine. Electric fields concentrate at a point, so when voltage gets high enough, ions will spray off the point into the air. Like charges repel - the point will push the air away, and the air will push the point away. The pinwheel spins.
The pinwheel on the right has a sparking column inside. An outer glass tube from base to top holds things rigid and protects the inner glass tube with small diamonds of tinfoil pasted in a spiral. As electricity accumulates on the pinwheel, it leaps down the tinfoil diamonds in a series of sparks. The inner tube spins with the pinwheel, so it appears (in the dark) to be a series of waves moving down towards the base. |
| The Bakken A Library and Museum of Electricity in Life 3537 Zenith Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55416-4623, USA Join our E-Mail List Contact Us Tele: 612-926-3878 Fax: 612-927-7265 |
 |
Museum Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 10 to 5 |
