5
As an electrician spun a friction machine’s crank, a charge built
up on a glass tube. When the electrician placed a metal rod
close to the glass tube, sparks flew. And if a volunteer held a
finger close to the glass tube, ZAP!
Sometimes an electrician used silk cords to hoist a boy into
the air. When the electrician rubbed the boy’s feet with an
electrically charged glass tube, sparks shot out of the boy’s
hands and face. Yikes!
Around 1734, Georg Matthias Bose, a German scientist,
hosted a shocking dinner party. As his guests ate, he touched
a charged glass rod to the table. Sparks danced between the
table and the guests’ forks. Pretty cool, huh?
12
Making
Sparks Fly
