Franklin's electrostatic machine

Franklin's electrostatic machine was a device invented by Benjamin Franklin to generate electricity. It's made up of two pieces of metal (usually brass), one connected to a ground wire, and the other connected to a rod that you hold in your hand. When you rub the rod with a wool cloth, electricity (or static electricity) builds up, and a spark of electricity jumps between the two pieces of metal. This is the same type of electricity that makes your hair stand on end when you walk across a carpet and touch a doorknob.