AD 1782
Alesandro Volta
The Perpetual Electrophorus
In 1782, Alesandro Volta (1745-1827), professor of Physics at Padua, announced
the discovery of a perpetual electrophorus (that which carries off electricity). It consisted of
an insulator on a thin plate of metal which was rubbed with cat's fur or fox tail. Another disk was
brought to the now electified insulator, touched with a finger and in turn became charged. This disk
had an insulated handle so that it could be carried without releasing the charge. It could then be
used to charge a leyden jar. It insulator disk remained charged for quite a while.
This was Volta's contribution to static electricity go to 1800 on the timeline for Volta's contribution
to direct current electricity.
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