Elastic Property of Electricity.—While electricity has no resiliency, like a spring, for instance, still it acts in the manner of a cushion under certain conditions. It may be likened to an oscillating spring acted upon by a bar
Referring to Fig. [71], we will assume that the bar A in falling down upon the spring B compresses the latter, so that at the time of greatest compression the bar goes down as far as the dotted line C. It is obvious that the spring B will throw the bar upwardly. Now, electricity appears to have a kind of elasticity, which characteristic is taken advantage of in order to increase the efficiency of the induction in the coil.
The Condenser.—To make a condenser, prepare two pine boards like A, say, eight by ten inches and a half inch thick, and shellac thoroughly on all sides. Then prepare sheets of tinfoil (B), six by eight inches in size, and also sheets of paraffined paper (C), seven by nine inches in dimensions. Also cut out from the waste pieces of tinfoil strips (D), one inch by two inches. To build up the condenser, lay down a sheet of paraffined paper (C), then a sheet of tinfoil (B),[p. 101] and before putting on the next sheet of paraffined paper lay down one of the small strips (D) of tinfoil, as shown in the illustration, so that its end projects over one end of the board A; then on the second sheet of paraffine paper lay another sheet of tinfoil, and on this, at the opposite end, place one of the small strips (D), and so on, using from 50 to 100 of the tinfoil sheets. When the last paraffine sheet is laid on, the other board is placed on top, and the whole bound together, either by wrapping cords around the same or by clamping them together with bolts.
You may now make a hole through the projecting ends of the strips, and you will have two sets of tinfoil sheets, alternately connected together at opposite ends of the condenser.
Care should be exercised to leave the paraffine sheets perfect or without holes. You can make[p. 102] these sheets yourself by soaking them in melted paraffine wax.