Electrostatic Windmill

Consists of a conductive metal 'wheel' or 'windmill' with radially protruding spikes ending in 90-degree turns and a stand with a needle on top that the wheel balances on.

To show the “action of points”, that charge can flow off pointed parts of a conductor maintained at a high potential.

• Van de Graaff generator
• Electrostatic windmill

Place windmill on top of the Van de Graaff generator. When the generator is turned on the windmill will begin to rotate.

The Van de Graaff generator vibrates significantly while running, so a piece of tape may be necessary to prevent the windmill from falling off of the generator.

The electrostatic windmill needs a high voltage to start turning, so move the grounding 'wand' far away from the head of the generator.