Static electricity/Howard Community College/Fall2012/p2-502-mw

Problem Statement
To build a new static electricity generator and harness enough static electricity to make an aluminum triangle float.

Team Members
Renkenberger Waters Holcomb McGivern

Summary
Over the last four weeks we got the ball rolling on the static project. We compiled a materials list for what is needed to create the static machine with the dimensions we designed. We also built a simple bottle demonstration that has us crank the generator and will then spin the bottles. We made progress in getting the lifter project to float, and found that the triangle needs to be redesigned so that it can actually be lifted, because currently it is too heavy. We also designed and constructed two leyden jars.

First Weekend
We found a complete online tutorial for building a wimhurst machine. [| here] We also found a great site about the history of static machines and a lot of information about them [| here] Lastly we examined a tutorial on charging a particle by induction to better understand how static electricity generators work.

Second Week Tasks
We will dismantle a roller blade for the wheels, build a Leyden jar, build a list of materials, make a list a list of interesting static electricity demonstrations, and continue working on getting the aluminum lifter to float.

Second Weekend
We found the top ten most interesting experiments involving electrostatic generators and put them in an excel so our fellow engineering students could vote on which experiment they would like to see, which can be found here.

We gathered information on leyden jar safety protocols and found a tutorial for a safe model.

We looked up safety procedures for the lifter projects and determined the different ways to make the triangle levitate.

Which [| demonstration] should we prepare?

Third Week Tasks
We are going to start building a leyden jar, locate the materials needed for the wimshurst machine on the web and link to them, get the triangle lifter to levitate, and create a materials list for the top three electrostatic experiments.

Week Three Results
We began construction on the first leyden jar and made plans for the a second larger leyden jar. Started building an additional materials list for the wimhurst pet bottle experiment, dancing balls experiment, and triangle lifter experiment, which can be found here.

Weekend Three Tasks
Build a Leyden jar, complete team poster, levitate the triangle, construct the PET bottle motor experiment.

Week Four Results
Started materials lists and information for 3 experiments. These lists can be found in the materials section.

Material List

 * See table under week three
 * All items still need to be acquired for the project. A cost estimate is unknown.


 * 1) Wimshurst PET Bottle Motor experiment ($10)

* PET bottle x 3 * Aluminum foil tape * Metal rod, so the PET bottle can spin * A piece of wood, for the base * Chains x 2


 * 2) Dancing Balls experiment ($8)

* Aluminum plate x 2 * A small acrylic chamber similar to any of these * Styrofoam * Aluminum foil * Wood, for the base


 * 3) Triangle Lifter experiment ($3)

* Aluminum foil * Large toothpick x 3

Software List
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) 2.8

Time
38 Hours

Tutorials
PET Bottle Static Motor

Next Steps

 * Materials: Items on the materials list still need to be acquired. The main list is solely for the planned whimhurst machine.


 * Experiment Set Up: Several other experiments have been proposed and materials lists put together. These items need to be acquired and set up for demonstration


 * Demonstration Decision: A survey has been created and still needs to be distributed and the results analyzed via statistical analysis. Professor Forester would be the ideal place to start on this part of the project.


 * Machine Construction: Materials list has already been created. The team would need to take gathered materials and being machine construction.