Museo Galileo
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Virtual Museum
Plate electrical machine
    • Setting:
      Room XI
    • Maker:
      unknown
    • Date:
      second quarter 19th cent.
    • Materials:
      boxwood, brass, glass
    • Dimensions:
      height 1420 mm; table 950x635 mm; glass disk diameter 590 mm, thickness 7 mm
    • Inventory:
      3909
    • Plate electrical machine (Inv. 3909)

Frictional electrical machine with glass disk rubbed by four leather cushions. The prime conductor consists of two brass tubes with spherical ends connected by a cross-tube fitted with an electrode, resting on glass supports; they terminate in jaw-collectors to facilitate the transfer of the charge at both sides of the glass disk. Positive charge is taken from the prime conductor, while negative charge is taken from the hook at the top of the machine.