alb3823329

Gray's "Flying Boy" Electrical Conduction, 1730s

Illustration shows Gray's experiment celebrated around Europe as the famous "Flying Boy" demonstration: a boy was suspended on silk cords, and then charged by Gray bringing his rubbed tube (static electric generator) close to the boy's feet, but without touching. Gray showed that the boy's face and hands (conducting) still attracted objects (electrostatic). Stephen Gray (December 1666 - February 7, 1736) was an English dyer and astronomer who was the first to systematically experiment with electrical conduction. Until his work in 1729 the emphasis had been on the simple generation of static charges and investigations of the static phenomena. He also made the distinction between conduction and insulation, and discovered the action-at-a-distance phenomenon of electrostatic induction.

Share
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook
Copy link
Email

Add to another lightbox

Do you already have an account? Sign in

You do not have an account? Register

Buy this image. Select the use:

Title:

Gray's "Flying Boy" Electrical Conduction, 1730s

Caption:

Illustration shows Gray's experiment celebrated around Europe as the famous "Flying Boy" demonstration: a boy was suspended on silk cords, and then charged by Gray bringing his rubbed tube (static electric generator) close to the boy's feet, but without touching. Gray showed that the boy's face and hands (conducting) still attracted objects (electrostatic). Stephen Gray (December 1666 - February 7, 1736) was an English dyer and astronomer who was the first to systematically experiment with electrical conduction. Until his work in 1729 the emphasis had been on the simple generation of static charges and investigations of the static phenomena. He also made the distinction between conduction and insulation, and discovered the action-at-a-distance phenomenon of electrostatic induction.

Credit:

Album / Science Source

Releases:

Model: No - Property: No
Rights questions?

Image size:

4800 x 2814 px | 38.6 MB

Print size:

40.6 x 23.8 cm | 16.0 x 9.4 in (300 dpi)

Keywords:

1730S • 18TH CENTURY • 18TH CENTURY, THE • 18TH CENTURY. • 18TH • APPLIED SCIENCE • ART • ARTWORK • BOY • BW • CELEBRITIES • CELEBRITY • CHILD • CONDUCTING • CONDUCTOR • DEMONSTRATION • DIRECTING • DRAWING • ELECTRIC • ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION • ELECTRICAL • ELECTRICITY • ELECTROSTATIC • EXPERIENCE • EXPERIMENT CONSTRUCTION = SETTING UP EXPERIMENT • EXPERIMENT CONSTRUCTION • EXPERIMENT • FAMOUS PEOPLE • FAMOUS • FLYING BOY • HISTORIC • HISTORICAL • HISTORY • ILLUSTRATION • ILLUSTRATIONS • IMPORTANT • NOTABLE WELL-KNOWN • SCIENCE • SETTING UP EXPERIMENT • STATIC ELECTRICITY • STEPHEN GRAY • SUSPENDED • TECHNOLOGICAL • TECHNOLOGY • XVIII CENTURY