PASCO ES-9059C User manual

Instruction Sheet
012-05247C
Conductive Spheres
ES-9059C
800-772-8700 www.pasco.com
®
*012-05247*
Introduction
The PASCO ES-9059C Conductive Spheres are convenient
objects upon which to store electrical charges. The spheres are 13
centimeters (cm) in diameter and are made of nickel-plated ABS
plastic. Each is mounted on a non-conductive rod of polycarbon-
ate (about 1014 ohms) and attached to a stable support base. Each
sphere has a thumbscrew terminal on the lower half of the sphere
for attaching a ground cable or a lead from a voltage source.
NOTE: When handling the conductive spheres, take care to keep
each sphere and non-conductive rod free of dirt, grease, and fin-
gerprints to minimize leakage of charge from the spheres.
Recommended Equipment*
• Faraday Ice Pail (ES-9042A)
• Basic Electrometer (ES-9078)
• Electrostatics Voltage Source (ES-9077)
• Charge Producers and Proof Plane (ES-9057B)
Related Equipment*
• Conductive Shapes (ES-9061)
*See the PASCO catalog or web site at www.pasco.com for more informa-
tion.
Operation with a Voltage Source
To use the conductive spheres with the PASCO ES-9077 Electro-
statics Voltage Source, connect one of the high voltage power
supply output terminals (+1000 V, +2000 V, +3000 V) to the
thumbscrew terminal on the lower half of the conductive sphere.
Note that the voltage source accessories include two
banana-plug-to-spade-lug insulated wires.
If you are using the PASCO ES-9078 Basic Electrometer to mea-
sure voltage, connect the electrometer ground terminal
(GROUND) to the black ground terminal on the voltage source.
Conductive sphere
Thumbscrew
Thumbscrew
Base
Non-conductive
rod
Conductive sphere
Electrostatic
Voltage
Source

®
Conductive Spheres ES-9059C
2
Using a Proof Plane to Sample Charge
The proof plane that is a part of the PASCO ES-9057B Charge
Producers and Proof Plane can be used to transfer charge from
the surface of a conductive sphere. Place the proof plane so that it
is tangent to the surface of the conductive sphere..
NOTE: You can then use a PASCO Basic Electrometer and a
Faraday Ice Pail (ES-9042A) to measure the charge density on
the proof plane, as shown in the following illustration.
By touching the proof plane to a surface, it will acquire the same
charge distribution as the surface. By measuring the charge on
the proof plane, the charge density on the surface can be deter-
mined. The greater the charge on the proof plane, the greater the
charge density on the surface where the proof plane made con-
tact.
Cleaning the Spheres
When necessary, clean the sphere and the non-conductive rod
with rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol.
Technical Support
For assistance with any PASCO product, contact PASCO at:
For more information about the Conductive Spheres and the lat-
est revision of this Instruction Sheet, visit:
www.pasco.com/go?ES-9059C
Limited Warranty For a description of the product warranty, see the
PASCO catalog. Copyright The PASCO scientific 012-05247C Con-
ductive Spheres Instruction Sheet is copyrighted with all rights reserved.
Permission is granted to non-profit educational institutions for reproduction
of any part of this manual, providing the reproductions are used only in
their laboratories and classrooms, and are not sold for profit. Reproduction
under any other circumstances, without the written consent of PASCO sci-
entific, is prohibited. Trademarks PASCO and PASCO scientific are
trademarks or registered trademarks of PASCO scientific, in the United
States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service
names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to
identify, products or services of, their respective owners. For more infor-
mation visit www.pasco.com/legal.
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Charged conductive
sphere
Proof plane is tangent
to the surface of the
conductor.
Proof plane is NOT
tangent to the surface
of the conductor.
YES!NO!
Electrometer Faraday Ice
Pail
Charged Proof Plane
Signal lead
Ground lead
Address: PASCO scientific
10101 Foothills Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95747-7100
Phone: [phone] (worldwide)
800-772-8700 (U.S.)
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.pasco.com
Email: [email protected]
Warning! Do not use acetone to clean the
sphere or the non-conductive rod!