electrophorus
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- noun An apparatus for generating static electricity, consisting of a hard rubber disk that is given a negative charge by friction and a metal plate that is given a net positive charge by induction when in contact with the disk.
Examples
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Italian scientist Alexander Volta in 1775 gave the electrophorus the form which it retains to the present day.
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I first excite the electrophorus in the usual manner, and you see that it then influences a charge in its top plate; the charge in the resinous compound is known as negative, while the charge induced in its top plate is known as positive.
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These tiny sparks from the electrophorus, or the bigger discharges of an electrical machine, can be stored in a simple apparatus called a Leyden jar, which was discovered by accident.
Note
The word 'electrophorus' comes from Greek roots meaning 'amber' and 'to bear'. Amber, when rubbed, produces static electricity.
