范氏起电机

范氏起電機

Fànshìqǐdiànjī

proper noun

Measure Word

一台范氏起电机 tái

Meanings

1 Van de Graaff generator
2 electrostatic generator that produces high voltages on a metal sphere

Characters

(transliteration of Van)

raise, generate

Examples

HSK 7-9

她摸了范氏起电机，头发都竖起来了。

Tā mō le Fànshìqǐdiànjī, tóufà dōu shù qǐlái le.

She touched the Van de Graaff generator and her hair stood on end.

HSK 7-9

科技馆里有一台大型范氏起电机。

Kējìguǎn lǐ yǒu yì tái dàxíng Fànshìqǐdiànjī.

There is a large Van de Graaff generator in the science museum.

Tips

culture

范氏 = 范 'Fan' (the Chinese surname character used to transliterate 'Van') + 氏 'family/clan'. Invented by American physicist Robert J. Van de Graaff in 1929 at MIT, originally to drive particle accelerators. Today it's most famous as the science-museum demo that makes your hair stand up.

Stroke Order

范 fàn

氏 shì

起 qǐ

电 diàn

机 jī