Museo Galileo
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Virtual Museum
Portable plate electrical machine
    • Setting:
      Room XVIII
    • Maker:
      unknown
    • Date:
      second half 18th cent.
    • Materials:
      mahogany, brass, glass
    • Dimensions:
      total height 220 mm, base (excluding conductor) 185x77 mm, glass disk diameter 140 mm, thickness 2.77 mm
    • Inventory:
      374
    • Portable plate electrical machine (Inv. 374)

Unusually small frictional electrical machine with glass disk. The brass prime conductor, supported by a glass pillar, has two curved arms, each terminating in a concave disk with sharp points (the collectors). These end in close proximity to the surface of the glass disk. The amount of charge is controlled by the Lane discharging electrometer with vernier scale on its wooden support. Provenance: Lorraine collections.