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Electricity

Van De Graaff Generators

What is a Faraday Cage?

A Faraday Cage, named after British physicist Michael Faraday, is a cage, metal grating, or metallic box that can shield electrical charge. Charges gather on the outer shell of the cage because they are repelled by one another and can be further from each other if they are on the outside of the cage. This results in no charge within the Faraday Cage. The metal sphere of a Van de Graaff generator is a Faraday Cage. Cars and airplanes can be Faraday Cages as well, and may provide some protection from lightning during an electrical storm.



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