ELECTRICAL TOYS 



387 



a neutral body touches an electrified body the charge distributes itself 

 over both bodies, so they are electrified alike. Explain the action of 

 the pith ball when held between the glass and hard rubber. 



Electrical toys. There are several different types of 

 toy electric motors. You will find it interesting to examine 

 some of them to see if you can recognize the different types 

 and find out how they work. A most interesting home 

 project would be to build your own motor. Directions 

 for this can be found in almost any good boy's book of 

 inventions, such as " Home Made Toys for Boys and 

 Girls," by A. N. Hall. There are many electromag- 

 netic devices from which one may get a lot of fun, for ex- 

 ample, an electric hammer can be made by winding a coil 

 of wire around a 

 pencil. Make the 

 coil three inches tall, 

 and wind about ten 

 layers of No. 16 in- 

 sulated wire. Re- 

 move the pencil. 

 Connect one end of 

 the coil to a battery 

 consisting of one or 

 more dry cells. Hold 

 the coil an inch 



above the table. Place a large nail in the hole inside the 

 coil letting the head of the nail rest on the table. Now 

 attach the wire from the other end of the coil to the other 

 pole of the battery, and the nail will rise in the coil. Break 

 the contact, and the nail will fall, striking a strong blow on 

 the table. 



The use of electricity in working a home telephone or 



A toy electric hammer. 



