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Description: | L.E.S.201. (old departmental label).
MANU Unsigned. [possibly1796] DES after BENNET,Abraham. 1786 Wirksworth, Derbyshire, England, DES after GILBERT,William. 1600 London, England. This instrument is a 'Bennet type' gold leaf electroscope. The account No. 5200 dated 'Whitsunday 1798' records the specific purchase of a Bennet's electrometer, part of an order made by Professor James Brown (Chair of Natural Philosopy 1796-1803).
This is a simple electroscope which was used to detect a static electric charge, using two strips of gold leaf.
This instrument collects a static electric charge on the flat plate on top of the instrument. Using two strips of fine gold leaf which are fixed to the bottom of the rod inside the glass cover (or leyden jar) the static electric charge causes the strips of gold leaf to fly apart. This instrument was more sensitive than the similar Saussure type which uses heavier pith balls as indicators (see GLAHM 105140). | License: | http://www.hmag.gla.ac.uk/spirit/rights/ | Publisher: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Rights holder: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Subjects: | SCIENTIFIC COLLECTION : | Source: | Hunterian Museum | Creator: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Identifier: | http://www.huntsearch.gla.ac.uk/cgi-bin/... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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