5B10.40 • Electric Field: Fuzzy Fur Field Tank

Location: Cabinet 1

Photo Shows Apparatus used by the University of Texas at Austin.

Instructions / Notes:

• After stirring "Plastic" "Fur" is suspended in castor oil that covers the bottom 1/8th inch of a plexiglass tank.
• An image of the tank is projected onto a wall with old-school optical overhead projector.
• Various shaped electrodes can be placed in the liquid. - These are stored on a plate beside the tank side.
• Before cranking the Wimshurst machine, it is imperative to stir the oil just enough so the fur is in suspension.
• Crank the Wimshurst to charge the electrodes. The fur will align with the field lines making them visible on the screen.
• Discharge the Wimshurst before changing the electrodes.
• After changing the electrodes, once again stir the fluid before cranking the Wimshurst.

Photo Shows Apparatus set up in the Painter 4.42A Demo Lab.

Drawing is by Courtesy of the University of Minnesota.

Last updated on June 5, 2026