This image features the Museum’s Van de Graaff generator being demonstrated at the recent ANSTO Open Day by Education Officer Bob Smith. It is an electrostatic generator, producing static electricity through friction. We use it in the newly developed Science Show, Zapped!, demonstrating to students how static and current electricity is made and how electricity is a form of energy, with various applications.
The charge is generated as the belt moves away from a plastic pulley. The charge then accumulates on the hollow metal sphere at the top of the stand. Students relate to the principle demonstrated, when discussion arises about how they can deliver electric shocks to one another in the classroom by rubbing their feet on the carpet and delivering this ‘charge’ via their finger or for even greater effect their metal ruler.
Some of the static charge from the metal sphere is transferred to the fibres at the top of it. The hairs rise and move away from each other because like-charges repel. The smaller sphere in Bob’s left hand is used to induce sparks or small lightning discharges which jump between the two spheres.
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Photo and Post by Janson Hews, Education Manager
