Electrometer

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Ingenium, 1999.0077.001
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OBJECT TYPE: GOLD LEAF
DATE: Unknown
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1999.0077.001

MANUFACTURER: Unknown
MODEL: Unknown
LOCATION: Unknown

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 1
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: STEEL & ALUMINUM CASING WITH PLEXIGLASS-TYPE SYNTHETIC FRONT & BACK/ METAL PARTS/ PAPER SCALE TAPED TO ONE SIDE

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length: 8.3 cm
Width: 5.3 cm
Height: 22.0 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Physics
Category: Atomic & nuclear
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: Unknown
Country: Unknown
State/Province: Unknown
City: Unknown

Context

Country: Canada
State/Province: Unknown
Period: Unknown
Canada: ORIGINALLY THE PROPERTY OF CANADIAN GEOPHYSICIST DR. DAVID ARNOLD KEYS (1890-1977). ACCORDING TO HIS SON, SOME OF THIS EQUIPMENT WAS USED BY DR. KEYS IN DEMONSTRATIONS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN INTENDED TO STIMULATE INTEREST IN SCIENCE, OTHER PIECES DATE FROM HIS TIME AT GERMAN PHYSICIST WILHELM ROENTGEN'S LAB IN MUNICH, MCGILL UNIVERSITY & AECL. DR. KEYS WORKED WITH ROENTGEN IN MUNICH IN 1911 BEFORE EARNING A PHD AT CAMBRIDGE; HE WAS PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AT MCGILL 1921-1947; HE WAS VP FOR ATOMIC ENERGY PROJECT AT NRC'S CHALK RIVER LABS 1947-1955; AND WAS AN AECL CONSULTANT UNTIL THE 1970'S.
Function: INSTRUMENT USED TO MEASURE VOLTAGE VARIATION WITHOUT DRAWING CURRENT FROM SOURCE. WHEN ELECTRICALLY CHARGED OBJECT IS BROUGHT NEAR, GOLD LEAF SEPARATES FROM ROD, WITH SEPARATION PROPORTIONAL (APPROXIMATE) TO CHARGE. SCALE ALLOWS SEMI-QUANTITATIVE MEASURE OF CHARGE TO BE DETERMINED.
Technical: AN EXAMPLE OF A GOLD LEAF ELECTORSCOPE OF A TYPE STILL USED FOR TEACHING AND DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES. IN 1787, REVEREND ABRAHAM BENNET DESCRIBED AN ELECTROSCOPE CONSISTING OF TWO SLIPS OF GOLD LEAF HUNG WITHIN A CLOSED JAR FOR PROTECTION AGAINST DRAFTS AND DAMAGE AND WITH A METALLIC CONNECTION TO A WELL INSULATED CAP. THE GOLD LEAF ELECTROSCOPE WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND SURVIVES TODAY AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR TEACHING AND DEMONSTRATION IN SCHOOLS. A SINGLE RECTANGLE OF GOLD LEAF SUBSTITUTE (DUTCH METAL) IS ATTACHED WITH SHELLAC TO A STRIP OF COPPER SOLDERED TO A BRASS ROD. THIS ASSEMBLY WAS HELD VERTICALLY WITHIN A GLASS SIDED BOX BY PASSING THE ROD THROUGH A STOPPER ENTERING THE TOP. THE HIGHLY INSULATED ROD WAS THEN TERMINATED BY A CIRCULAR COPPER DISK (REF. 1).
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: NONE
Missing: UNKNOWN From CA of 11/05/2001 by David Daley: No - Complete
Finish: HAMMER-TONE FINISH ON CASING/ COLOURLESS TRANSPARENT SYNTHETIC/ BRUSHED METAL PARTS
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

Unknown Manufacturer, Electrometer, Unknown Date, Artifact no. 1999.0077, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1999.0077.001/

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