DIY Leyden Jar and a small EXPERIMENT with it

You charge a homemade Leyden jar with a comb and it sparks))

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#181 denko125

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Posted 07 February 2012 — 07:24

#182 MagoneJanis

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Posted 26 February 2012 — 15:04

» |_________. ________ |_||__|________||

This spelling is like kung fu!!!

#183 Denisi4

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Posted 28 August 2012 — 23:26

The structure is the same as Muschenbroek himself made it (well, almost). Foil on the outside, water with salt inside, copper wire with a diameter of 3 mm, and a ball of foil at the end. I made it in 10 minutes, and tried to charge it with a comb, TV, but nothing worked. Then, a day later, a lighter caught my eye, and I thought, what if I charged my light bulb with a piezoelectric element from an ordinary lighter. Well, I charged it for 3 minutes, and then shorted it with a wire, and I got a spark of 2 millimeters. In general , whoever thinks that his jar is not charging, let him try to do it like me, and he will succeed. I wish all home-made people good luck in their “inventions.” And I went to make an electrophore machine for my jar. When I finish that too, I’ll post it photos.

#184 vit105

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Posted 30 March 2013 — 00:36

#185 MrNosferato11

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Posted 02 April 2013 — 19:41

#186 MrNosferato11

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Posted 03 April 2013 — 06:51

#187 MrNosferato11

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Posted 03 April 2013 — 15:01

#188 STEN50

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Posted 10 April 2013 — 21:44

A candy can is a capacitor, with two foil plates and a dielectric between the plates.

The larger the area of ​​the foil of the plates, the smaller the distance between the plates and the better the dielectric, the greater the capacity of the can. This means the spark power will be greater.

As a dielectric, it is BEST to take a glass jar, wash it well and dry it. In order to have as little leakage as possible in the insulator. Of course, the less the leakage, the longer the charge will remain in the LB.

The pin with the ball should be in good contact in several places with the inner lining (foil) of the jar.

Take a copper pin and solder a whisk of fluffed stranded wire at the end. Contact of the pin with the inner lining will be automatically ensured immediately.

To increase the capacity of a Leyden jar, you can connect several jars IN PARALLEL. The spark energy will increase.

#189 Dr Evil

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Posted 20 May 2013 — 17:04

I made a jar a long time ago. I just stuffed foil into it and glued it to it. And I charge the jar by rubbing my shaggy hand on a plastic window sill

Introduction

A capacitor is an element of an electrical circuit consisting of two conductive plates, each of which contains an electric charge of opposite sign. The plates are separated by a dielectric, which helps them retain this charge.

There are several types of insulating materials used in capacitors, including ceramic, mica, tantalum and polystyrene. Insulators such as air, paper and plastic are also widely used in the production of capacitors. Each of these materials effectively prevents the capacitor plates from touching each other.

Goal: find, study and show types of capacitors, identifying the most relevant for the future. Make a model of the simplest capacitor - a Leyden jar - and show it to ninth graders as a visual example.

Relevance: In the modern world, thanks to the gigantic efforts of many thousands of outstanding figures of science and technology from different countries, unprecedented success has been achieved in the discovery and study of the laws of nature and their use for the benefit of humanity.

As you know, one of the main directions of scientific and technological progress is electrical engineering.

The invention of the capacitor and the creation of the first electrochemical current source are the most important pages in the annals of electricity

Problem: Using specific examples of the most outstanding discoveries and inventions in the field of electrical engineering and radio electronics, I will try to show not only the role of knowledge in the history of the creation of a particular technical device, but also, having embarked on the path of technical creativity, I may be able in the future to make my contribution to the development of science and technology.

Goal achievement plan:

Find and analyze information about various types of capacitors and new developments.

Create a model of the simplest capacitor - a Leyden jar.

Convey the information received to ninth-graders when studying this topic to increase their interest in studying the subject.

The Leyden jar is the first electric capacitor, invented by the Dutch scientists Muschenbroek and his student Kuneus in 1745 in Leiden. The dielectric in this capacitor was the glass of the vessel, and the plates were the water in the vessel and the experimenter’s palm, which held the vessel. The output of the inner lining was a metal conductor passed into the vessel and immersed in water.

What is the capacitance of a capacitor? The concept of “capacitance of a capacitor” characterizes its ability to accumulate electrical charge. The unit of measurement for capacitance is the Farad.

If a capacitor retains a charge of 1 coulomb when the potential difference between its plates is 1 Volt, then it has a capacitance of one Farad. In reality, this unit is too large for most practical applications.

Typical capacitance values ​​when using capacitors fall in the ranges of millifarads (10-3 F), microfarads (10-6 F) and picofarads (10-12 F).

What types of capacitors are there? To understand what a capacitor is, it is necessary to consider the main types of this component depending on the purpose, conditions of use and type of dielectric.

Electrolytic capacitors are used in circuits where large capacitance is required. Most of these elements are polar. Common materials for them are tantalum or aluminum.

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are much cheaper and have a wider range of applications. However, tantalum has significantly higher volumetric efficiency and superior electrical characteristics.

Tantalum capacitors have tantalum oxide as a dielectric. They are distinguished by high reliability, good frequency characteristics, and a wide range of operating temperatures.

They are widely used in electronic equipment where a high level of capacitance is required with small dimensions. Due to their advantages, they are produced in large volumes for the needs of the electronics industry.

The disadvantages of tantalum capacitors include sensitivity to current ripples and overvoltages, as well as the relative high cost of these products.

Power capacitors are typically used in high voltage systems. They are widely used to compensate for losses in power lines, as well as to improve power factor in industrial electrical installations. They are made from high-quality metallized propylene film using special impregnation with non-toxic insulating oil. They may have the function of self-destruction of internal damage, which gives them additional reliability and increases their service life.

Ceramic capacitors have ceramic as their dielectric material. They are distinguished by high functionality in terms of operating voltage, reliability, low losses and low cost. Their capacitance range varies from several picofarads to approximately 0.1 µF.

Currently, they are one of the most widely used types of capacitors used in electronic equipment.

Silver mica capacitors have replaced the previously widespread mica elements. They have high stability, a sealed housing and a large capacity per unit volume.

The widespread use of silver-mica capacitors is hampered by their relative high cost.

For paper and metal-paper capacitors, the plates are made of thin aluminum foil, and special paper impregnated with a solid (molten) or liquid dielectric is used as a dielectric.

They are used in low-frequency circuits of radio devices at high currents. They are relatively cheap.

What is a capacitor used for?

There are a number of examples of the use of capacitors for a wide variety of purposes.

In particular, they are widely used for storing analog signals and their digital data.

Variable capacitors are used in telecommunications for frequency regulation and tuning of telecommunications equipment. A typical example of their application is in power supplies. There, these elements perform the function of smoothing (filtering) the rectified voltage at the output of these devices.

They can also be used in voltage multipliers to generate high voltages that are many times the input voltage.

Capacitors are widely used in various types of voltage converters, uninterruptible power supply devices for computer equipment, etc.

Creation of the Leyden jar

This winter day in 1745 was remembered by the Dutch professor from Leiden Peter Muschenbroek (1692-1761) for the rest of his life. He was among many physicists who were involved in experiments with an electrostatic machine. It was important to “accumulate” the charges received from it. Knowing that glass does not conduct electricity, Muschenbroek filled a glass jar with water and dipped the end of a copper wire connected to the machine's conductor into it. He correctly assumed that charges would begin to accumulate in the jar.

Taking the glass jar in his right hand, he asked his assistant to rotate the ball of the machine, and when, in his opinion, a sufficient number of charges had accumulated in the jar, Muschenbroek decided to disconnect the wire from the conductor with his left hand (Fig. 1).

Without suspecting it, he “passed” the accumulated charges through himself - after all, his hands became the inner and outer linings of the can. Naturally, the professor received a strong blow, and it seemed to him that “the end had come.”

The scientist wrote about his sensations: “A copper wire, the end of which was immersed in a round glass vessel, partly filled with water, which I held in my right hand, while with the other hand I tried to extract sparks from the electrified barrel. Suddenly my right hand was struck with such force that my whole body shook as if struck by lightning. The vessel, even though it is made of thin glass, is usually not broken by this shock, but the hand and the whole body are affected in such a terrible way that I cannot even say, in a word, I thought that the end had come...”

In a letter to his colleague Reaumur in Paris in January 1746, he wrote that this “... new and terrible experience I advise you not to repeat in any way” and that even “for the sake of the Crown of France” he would not agree to undergo “such a terrible shock.” The effect of the electrical discharge was further enhanced by the unexpectedness with which it occurred.

Fig.1. The Muschenbroek Experience (from an old engraving)

It turned out that in vessels of the type that Muschenbroek writes about, electricity can accumulate in very significant quantities. This is how the later famous “Leyden jar” was discovered - the simplest capacitor.

Fig.2. The Muschenbroek Experience (from an old engraving)

Muschenbroek's letter created a genuine sensation; his experience began to be repeated not only by physicists, but also by many amateurs interested in new discoveries.

As often happens, in the same 1745, independently of Muschenbruck, a similar jar was created by the German physicist E. Kleist. Kleist, not knowing about the Leiden experiments, constructed a similar device, which is why the Leiden jar is sometimes called the Kleist jar.

In the press, the invention of the “can” was “welcomed as a great discovery.”

The news about the Leyden jar spread with great speed throughout Europe and America, which was not very enlightened at that time. Muschenbruck, already famous, became a Leiden landmark. In particular, Peter the Great met him when he worked at shipyards in Holland. Later, Peter ordered various instruments for the new Academy of Sciences specifically for Muschenbroek “to order.”

In laboratories, aristocratic salons, and fairs, amazing experiments were carried out, unpleasant, funny and exciting at the same time.

The French capital, of course, could not stay away from the “Leiden epidemic.” Particularly famous was the experiment with the Leyden jar, carried out by the “master of experiments” French physicist Abbot J. Nollet at Versailles in the presence of the king.

The royal musketeers also conducted a similar experiment in front of the king at Versailles. Even guards discipline was powerless against the blow of the Leyden jar:

Nolle lined up a chain of 180 guardsmen holding hands, with “the first holding a Leyden jar in his free hand, and the last touching the wire, drawing out a spark... The blow was felt by everyone at one moment, it was curious to see the variety of gestures and hear an instant scream, emitted by surprise the majority of those who felt the blow.”

Not everyone knows that the term “electric circuit” originated from this chain of soldiers.

Further, 700 Parisian monks, holding hands, conducted the Leiden experiment, under the leadership of the king’s learned court “electrician,” who was specially in charge of various electrical amusements, Abbot Nollet.

The moment the first monk touched the head of the jar, all 700 monks, reduced by one convulsion, screamed in horror.

“The first one held a jar in his free hand, and the last one extracted a spark; The blow was felt by everyone at once. It was very curious to see the variety of gestures and hear the instantaneous cry of surprise that erupted from most of those receiving the blow.”

Despite the unpleasant sensation, thousands and thousands of people wanted to undergo the experiment.

New cans were made, increasingly powerful.

The Leyden jar has become an indispensable attribute of electrical research. With its help, large electric sparks were produced - sometimes up to several centimeters.

Electrical experiments gained extraordinary popularity. They have become one of the most exquisite entertainments.

Entire performances, entertaining, almost theatrical spectacles were performed in front of enthusiastic spectators.

Gradually, the design of the Leyden jar was improved: water was replaced with shot, and then the outer surface was covered with thin lead plates; Later, the inner and outer surfaces began to be covered with tin foil, and the can acquired its modern appearance.

When conducting research with the jar, it was established (in 1746 by the Englishman B. Wilson) that the amount of electricity collected in the jar is proportional to the size of the linings and inversely proportional to the thickness of the insulating column. In the 70s XVIII century metal plates began to be separated not by glass, but by an air gap - thus, the simplest capacitor appeared.

In 1746, various modifications of the Leyden jar appeared with foil linings, with an internal lining of metal filings or shot, etc. The Leyden jar made it possible to accumulate and store relatively large charges, on the order of a microcoulomb, and after a number of improvements it became one of the most important electrical devices.

Physicists from different countries began to carry out experiments with the Leyden jar, and in 1746-1747. The first theories of the Leyden jar were developed by the famous American scientist B. Franklin and the keeper of the physics cabinet, the Englishman W. Watson. In his letter to the keeper of the Physics Cabinet at the Royal Society, W. Watson, Muschenbrook wrote: “You amazed everyone with your magnificent experiments!” It is interesting to note that Watson sought to determine the speed of propagation of electricity by “making” it “run” 12,000 feet.

To avoid the painful experience of discharging a can through the human body, Muschenbroek came up with the use of a metal discharger, and to obtain an enhanced effect from the cans he created the first battery of 3 cans. Gralat, Watson, Bevis and others gradually improved the design of Leyden jars and batteries.

The theory of operation of a Leyden jar is the same as that of an electric capacitor in general; its advantage over a plate capacitor lies in its larger surface area and closedness under other identical conditions.

The source of charges for the Leyden jar can be an electric battery, a generator, etc. Or a simple ebonite stick rubbed on wool or fur. If such a rod, carrying free electrons, touches the metal rod in the neck of the vessel, electrons will flow from the rod to the internal electrode. Thus, the negative charge will be transferred to the internal electrode. Since the ability to accumulate charges in a vessel is limited by their mutual repulsion, their transfer to the electrode cannot be endless. The ability to accumulate or hold charges is called capacitance.

In a Leyden jar, the capacity is increased by the presence of a second electrode on the outer wall of the vessel. If this electrode is grounded, then the charge accumulated on the inner electrode will attract from the ground an equal charge of the opposite sign. The positive charge accumulated on the outer electrode attracts the negatively charged electrons located on the inner electrode, partially neutralizing the repulsive forces that inhibit the accumulation of electrons. Due to this, the capacity of the vessel increases. However, it cannot grow indefinitely.

There are two ways to increase the capacity of a Leyden jar. One of them is to increase the area of ​​the electrodes to allow the charges to disperse over a larger space and thereby reduce the force of mutual repulsion of electrons. Another way is to reduce the thickness of the glass wall of the vessel, which separates the charges accumulating on the inner and outer electrodes. We must not forget that if the glass is too thin, electrons will be able to pass through it, creating a spark discharge, which will lead to charge dissipation.

Both Leyden jar paths are difficult to implement, but they are among the three classic methods used by modern scientists and engineers when developing new capacitor designs. The third direction of increasing capacity is taking into account the peculiarities of the behavior of electrons in insulators. Although the electrons in the insulating material are stationary, they can still move slightly due to attractive or repulsive forces exerted by the electrodes. On one side of the dielectric separating the electrodes, electrons seem to “swell” under its surface, creating a negative charge, on the other side they “sink” into the thickness of the dielectric, increasing the value of the positive charge in the subsurface zone. Thus, the charges created in the dielectric contribute to the neutralization of charges on the plates.

One of the most important consequences of the invention of the Leyden jar was the establishment of the influence of electrical discharges on the human body, which led to the birth of electromedicine. This was the first relatively widespread practical application of electricity, which played a major role in deepening the study of electrical phenomena.

Rice. 3. Leyden jar

Over the next decades, the design of the Leyden jar was improved: first, water was replaced with shot, and the outer surface was lined with thin lead plates, then the inner and outer surfaces began to be covered with sheets (tin foil), and the jar acquired its modern appearance.

Research by physicists has led to the conclusion that the amount of electricity accumulated in a jar is proportional to the size of the linings and inversely proportional to the thickness of the insulating layer.

In 1782, the French botanist Adanson, visiting Senegal, first compared the blow of an electric eel with the blow of a Leyden jar.

St. Petersburg academician F.U. T. Epinus (1724-1802) was the first to reject the statement of the famous American physicist B. Franklin about the special role of glass in the Leyden jar and for the first time created the simplest “air” capacitor, consisting of two metal plates separated by an air layer.

A Leyden jar connected by plates to an electric machine could accumulate and store a significant amount of electricity for a long time.

In the 70s In the 18th century, metal plates began to be separated not by glass, but by an air gap - this is how the simplest electric capacitor appeared (the word capacitor means thickener), and strips of foil that are not interconnected are called capacitor plates.

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Rice. 4 Leyden jar from the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh

Rice. 5 The Leyden jar is the basis of a modern electrophore machine used for conducting experiments in electrostatics at school

It is difficult to imagine any electronic circuit that does not use capacitors. Over the two and a half centuries of their existence, they have significantly changed their appearance and today meet all the requirements of advanced technology.

Some capacitors cost no more than a ruble, but their production on a global scale amounts to billions of dollars.

The invention of the Leyden jar is a new page in the annals of electricity.

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Practical part

Making a Leyden jar - the first simplest capacitor in history. For manufacturing you will need any glassware with a lid. For example, a coffee can. The capacitance of a capacitor largely depends on its volume, but a small one can be built to demonstrate simple electrical experiments.

Prepare a glass container with a plastic lid, aluminum foil and two small pieces of wire. (can be replaced with a plastic cup and twisted strips of foil).

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copy.

So, carefully cover the inside and outside of a suitable jar with aluminum foil, trying to avoid folds or tears in it. It will serve as the plates of the capacitor.

Using adhesive tape, we attach the pre-stripped wires to both plates.

Then, you need to make a hole in the lid and pass a wire through it that connects to the inner layer of foil. We “return” the lid to its place.

That's all, actually. The Leyden jar is ready!

Leyden jar how to make at home

In general, the topic is this - a Leyden jar is the simplest capacitor (conductor | insulation | conductor) this is a thing that accumulates energy, in our case static electricity. We will make it from foil, electrolyte (salt water) and a plastic bottle. The photo below shows the appearance, we wrap the outside of the bottle in foil, the bottom too, and pour salt water inside to the water level into which we lower a foil stick. The foil and electrolyte will be conductors, and the wall of the bottle will be an insulator. Now, holding the outer foil lining with one hand, we comb our hair and each time touch the plastic comb (at least 20 times) to the stick in salt water. That's all! Now on the outer plate we have a lack of electrons and it is positively charged, and in the electrolyte (foil stick) we have an excess of electrons and it is negatively charged. Now we can discharge our Leyden bottle. To do this, touch the outer lining of the bottle with a stick of water, there will be a characteristic lightning. To break through 1 millimeter of air you need 1000 Volts, so calculate how much voltage you have “combed” based on the length of your lightning. So that no one has illusions, it is impossible to kill with such voltage, because the current strength is too small. It will be more effective if you grab the outer lining with one hand and touch the electrolyte stick with a finger of the other hand ;).

It seems Alex Gyver had a similar idea, but we both repeated Peter van Maschenburg’s experiment, in different forms