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Ridiculously Sensitive Electric Charge Detector

The document describes a simple electric charge detector circuit using a field effect transistor that can detect voltages as low as one volt, making it ridiculously sensitive. It acts like an electronic electroscope and can detect electrostatic potentials on objects from several meters away such as when someone combs their hair. The circuit can detect whether a metal object lifted on an insulator has an electrostatic potential of just one volt.

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Adam Rabbani Adnan
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311 views2 pages

Ridiculously Sensitive Electric Charge Detector

The document describes a simple electric charge detector circuit using a field effect transistor that can detect voltages as low as one volt, making it ridiculously sensitive. It acts like an electronic electroscope and can detect electrostatic potentials on objects from several meters away such as when someone combs their hair. The circuit can detect whether a metal object lifted on an insulator has an electrostatic potential of just one volt.

Uploaded by

Adam Rabbani Adnan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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RIDICULOUSLY SENSITIVE

ELECTRIC CHARGE DETECTOR


1987 William J. Beaty

(The earth-ground is not required.)


(The 1-Meg resistor is not required.)

This simple circuit can detect the invisible fields of voltage which surround all
electrified objects. It acts as an electronic "electroscope."
Regular foil-leaf electroscopes deal with electrostatic potentials in the range of
many hundreds or thousands of volts. The above device can detect one volt. Its
sensitivity is ridiculously high. Since "static electricity" in our environment is
actually a matter of high voltage, this device can sense those high-voltage
electrically charged objects at a great distance. On a low-humidity day and with a
1/2 meter antenna wire, its little LED-light will respond strongly when someone
combs their hair at a distance of five meters or more. If a metal object is lifted up
upon a non-conductive support and touched against the sensor wire, the sensor can
detect whether that object has an electrostatic potential of as little as one volt!

Note: I use the term "electrification" rather than "charging", in order to


avoid confusion between electric charge and net-charge. "Charge" is the
stuff on the negative electrons and positive protons, while "net-charge" is
the imbalance between positive and negative particles which appears on
everyday objects. Avoid saying that everyday objects become electrically
"charged." After all, their atoms are always full of charges. Instead they
become "electrified" whenever their pre-existing + and - charges are not
equal.

PARTS LIST:

1 - Standard 9-volt battery


1 - MPF102 Field Effect Transistor (FET) Radio Shack #276-2062, or mail order
1 - any Red Light Emitting Diode (LED), eg Radio Shack #276-041
MISC:
o Battery connector (#270-325)
o Alligator Clip Leads (#278-1156)
o solder, if desired
o 1-meg resistor (not required)
o plastic, fur, foil, comb, tape dispenser, plastic cup

(Tiny version bult atop a 9v battery connector)

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