Re: How does a kelvin water dropper work?

Hi Jonathan! Take a look at my Kelvin's Thunderstorm page.

The brief explanation: all matter is full of equal and opposite charge, and in conductive materials, the (+) charges aren't locked to the (-). In conductors, opposite charges can flow independently. If you hold a (+) charged object near a water sprinkler, the (-) charges of the water will be attracted into the exiting droplets, and the sprinkler will emit (-) charged water. This is called ELECTROSTATIC CHARGING BY INDUCTION. Reverse the polarity of the charged object, and you reverse the polarity of the charged droplets. Make two devices, one which uses (-) charge to make (+) water, and the other which uses (+) charge to make (-) water. Cross-connect them and turn on the water, and the two sides become charged up as if by magic.