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title: Eight Leyden Jars in a Box
created: 2019-10-11T15:24:12+00:00
modified: 2019-12-27T14:38:54+00:00
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description: The Leyden Jar was a sensational advancement for studies of electricity in the 18th century. A high voltage device made from simple materials, it was the first condenser, a precursor to the capacitor, storing electric energy until discharged. Such a device enabled a number of medical, engineering, and experimental applications. The Leyden Jar is a wide mouthed glass with metal wrapped around the outside and on the inside. The jar is filled with water or another liquid such as alcohol. A metal rod passes through the nonconductive top, reaching down to the liquid. When an electric charge is created (in this period, by an electrostatic friction machine) and somebody or a conductive object touches both the metal top of the rod and the outside metal, an electric shock jumps springs between the rod and the conductive agent, discharging the electricity stored in the jar's glass. Two parties are credited with its invention, independently but around the same time: Ewald Georg von Kleist and Pieter van Musschenbroek, in 1745-1746. Musschenbroek and his assistant, Andreas Cunaeus, are given the namesake as they published their findings. It is named for the town and the University of Leiden, where they worked. Beyond its scientific merit, it was promoted commercially as a 'flask' for wealthy people with scientific wonder. The Leyden jars at Grinnell College are arranged in a box configuration, an advancement made by Benjamin Franklin in 1747-1748. This setup creates the "Leyden Battery," allowing a stronger charge to be collectively built and stored. Such a design enabled the invention of the wireless telegraph at the beginning of the 20th century. -Felipe Gentle 2017 References Katz, Eugenii. "Pieter (Petrus) Van Musschenbroek." Musschenbroek. Institute of Chemistry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2004. Web. 12 Apr. 2017. Terra Incognita Interactive Productions. "'Electrical Battery' of Leyden Jars, 1760-1769." The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary. Franklin and Marshall College…
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