Re: Van de Graaff

["Edwin R. Schweber" <EdSchweb@ix.netcom.com>]

Violeta Grigorescu Tanase wrote:
> I am about to do the Van de Graaff generator demo.  I have tried it before
> with some smaller devices and I did not have much success.  Now I have a
> generator with a rather large sphere. A student of mine told me that it
> works better when one has hair jelly on his/her hair.  Is it true?  How
> about the length of time a person needs to wait in order to get discharged.
>  (!!)  Would shoes with rubber soles provide enough insulation?
> ..........Well, if I don't see anything signed by me anymore, you'll know
> that I didn't do it right. ;-)
> Cheers!
> Violeta

Violeta,

   The best success I've had with a Van der Graf is when I used a thick 
sheet of foam rubber as an insulator. Also, it helps to ground the base of
the Van der Graf

Ed Schweber (e-mail:edschweb@ix.netcom.com)
Solomon Schechter Day School
West Orange, NJ