#63

History of Science:


*The Leyden Jar:


*a German scientist named Ewald Georg von Kleist invented the capacitor in November of 1745
*a little while later a Dutch professor, Pieter van Musschenbroekcame up with a very similar device called the Leyden Jar
*this is typically thought as the first capacitor
*this is generally a simple device
* it is made up of a glass jar, half filled with water and lined inside and out with metal foil
-(the glass acts as the dielectric)
-(water used to be thought to be the key ingredient)
*there was usually a metal wire or chain driven through a cork in the top of the jar
*the chain was then hooked onto something that would give a charge
-(probably a hand-cranked static generator)
*once the charge was delivered the jar would hold 2 equal (opposite) charges in equilibrium until they were connected with a wire...which would produce a small spark or shock