Electrostatic pinwheel/Ionic drive

Back to 5B - Electric fields and potentials
PIRA index: 5B30.50

Description

The electric field is stronger around edges. When the field is strong enough charges will escape carrying momentum. Those edges can be aligned in way that the reaction to escaping charges will give the charged object angular momentum. The electrostatic pinwheel demonstrate this effect.

Equipment

• Metalic arrow with a needle tangential to the radius on each end.
• Pinwheel stand
• Van de Graaff generator

Instructions

• Put the pinwheel stand on the top of ball of the Van de Graaff generator.
• Turn the generator on.

Images & Movies

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