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Dissectible Leyden Jar
Part Number: SS2479
Safety:
This Leyden jar capacitor has a small capacitance and is intended for demonstration purposes only. While the small
capacitance allows it to be safely handled, proper care should be taken to avoid discharge through the body.
Description:
The SS2479 dissectible Leyden jar capacitor has two aluminum cups which nest together with an insulating plastic cup
between. A metal stem comes up from the inner cup, terminating in a solid metal ball, so that when assembled it is a
Leyden Jar. Its three component pieces can be easily taken apart.
Charging Instructions:
Remember to use this device on an insulated, non-conductive surface (wood). Charge the SS2479 dissectible Leyden jar
capacitor with a device such as a Wimshurst Machine or Van De Graaff generator.
If using a Wimshurst machine, move the discharge spheres away from each other to prevent discharge (see FIG. A
below). Holding the outer cup of the Leyden jar to one Wimshurst sphere, bring the sphere protruding from the inner cup
of the Leyden jar in contact with the Wimshurst discharge sphere on the other side. Keeping the Leyden jar in this
position, crank the handle on the Wimshurst. Remember to carefully hold and contact only the bottom cup of the Leyden
jar. Keep in mind that the Wimshurst machine will reach very high potentials during this exercise because the spacing of
the spheres will not allow for discharge. USE CAUTION to never place a part of your body between terminals, and
always remember to discharge the Wimshurst after the activity is complete. BE CAREFUL! After a few revolutions the
Leyden jar will be fully charged.
If using a Van De Graaff generator to charge the Leyden jar, attach a wire to the ground (-) of the Van De Graaff and hold
it to the outer cup of the Leyden jar (optional). While holding the ground wire (optional) to the outer cup, bring the center
sphere in contact with the discharge dome (+) of the Van De Graaff.
FIG. A
Discharging Instructions:
Discharge of the SS2479 dissectible Leyden jar capacitor is achieved by bringing the inner cup and outer cup together.
This can be done using our adjustable discharge tongs (SS15478) or by using bent wire fastened to the end of an
insulating handle. Due to the low capacitance of this device (designed to be handled safely), you can expect up to a 1/2"
spark during discharge.

Demonstration: Modified from the following website: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/scenario/e-stat.htm
Charge the capacitor per the above instructions using a Wimshurst or Van De Graaff generator. After it is charged, set the
Leyden jar capacitor on an insulating surface (a wooden table is ok). Don't grab the inner and outer conductors while it is
assembled and charged! Discharge the jar, showing the class this spark using adjustable discharge tongs (SS15478).
Touch one end to the outer can, then bring the other ball end of the discharger slowly toward the ball on the hook of the
Leyden Jar.
If you don't have adjustable discharge tongs (SS15478), you can make one from heavy wire (coat hanger?) and an
insulating (wood or plastic) handle.
Now recharge the capacitor, as before. Set it down on the table. Casually use an insulating rod (follow instructions to the
letter here--I said insulating) to lift the hook on the capacitor, lifting out the center conducting can.
Now, slowly and carefully offer the can hanging on the insulating rod to a nearby student, saying (casually) "Would you
hold this for me?" Most students refuse. "Oh, be that way," you say. "I'll do it myself." Casually take the metal inner can
in your hand and set it on the table, or other insulating surface.
Now grasp the outer can and the insulating cup and take them apart. Some students wonder at your daring. Set the
insulator down. Handle the can freely. Pick up the inner can and handle it freely. Place the small can inside the large one.
Nothing happens.
Offer the separated metal cups of the jar to students for them to hold (not the plastic cup). If available, use a water pipe to
ground the inner and outer metal cups.
Now reassemble the capacitor. Pay attention here. Place the plastic cup inside the outer can. Now use the insulating
handle to lift the hook of the inner metal can, and lower the metal can into the plastic cup. The capacitor is now
reassembled. You can handle it by the outer can, but don't touch the inner can at the same time. Freely hold the
capacitor for effect as you say "Let's see if there's any charge left on this capacitor." Don't comment on your actions or
explain themyet.
Now use the discharging tool again, slowly bringing it toward the center ball until the spark happens again, just about as
strongly as before.
Still seeming surprised, say "We took the cans apart, handled the parts (if applicable even discharged them on a grounded
water pipe), yet when reassembled, the capacitor still had as much charge as before!" Let them think about this. Notice
that you have deceived (lied) to them. Note the careful wording of the sentence above. You gave the impression you had
handled and discharged all the parts, when, in fact, you did not handle or discharge the plastic cup. Will any student
notice this deception? Will anyone volunteer comment on it? At this point most students wrongly think that the charge
must be on the metal cans, so they will not consider it important to examine the plastic cup.
At the end of the demo, recap this point, restating your deceptive sentence, and pointing out how some people can make
the wrong inference, and how people who desire to mislead or deceive can have a field day with other folks who don't
examine assertions critically, just by clever choice of words, by selective omissions and selective emphasis. Take every
opportunity to encourage skeptical and critical thinking in students. Also, in the recap, emphasize the importance of
observing details of what happened, for example, the fact that no attempt was made to discharge the insulating cup, and
that an insulating tool was used to lift the inner metal cup out of the charged capacitor, and to replace it later, but no such
care was required when handling the outer metal cup. Ask them why.
Assemble and charge the dissectible capacitor again, while you discuss what has been seen. Discuss why the charge went
to the inner and outer surfaces of the insulating cup, and why there actually was no (or very little) charge on the metal
cups after you took the capacitor apart. Show this by disassembling the capacitor and bringing the metal parts near a
charged electroscope.
Footnote: Some discussions of this experiment use the term "dielectric" to describe the insulator. I have not used this
word, because it is unnecessary, and potentially misleading, in this context. While the dielectric properties of the insulator
are certainly there, they play little role in this experiment. To see why, consider the details of the process of charging a
capacitor.
First look at the case of a capacitor without anything (vacuum) between the plates). How does it get charged? Some
potential source (perhaps a battery) moves electrons from one plate, through the external circuit to the other plate. The
external source doesn't add charge to the capacitor (it had zero net charge at the start, and zero at the end). Therefore the
usual term "charging" is misleading. The external source simply did the work necessary to transport free charges from one
plate to the other via the external circuit.
Where does the excess free charge reside after the process finishes? On the very inside of the negative plate, as close as it
can get to the positive plate (which has an electron deficiency).
Now in the capacitor with an insulator-dielectric between the plates, what happens? The same thing. Except now, since
the insulator is in close proximity to the plates, many free electrons from the negative plate easily jump the small gap from
that plate to the surface of the insulator. Since it is an insulator, that's as far as they can go toward the positive plate,
During the capacitor disassembly, there's still a strong field between the plates, in such a direction as to keep the excess
charges in place on the surface of the insulator until the plates are too far away for the charges to go anywhere else.
Therefore these free charges stay put on the surface of the insulator.
Recap the demo as indicated above.
I've hit the important points. Embellish as your flair for the dramatic dictates.
PRODUCT OF CHINA