Chapter I: Front Matter

AN INVISIBLE WORLD-POWER -- GENERATING ELECTRICITY -- WHAT A BOY
CAN DO -- INEXPENSIVE TOOLS -- SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE

CHAPTER II.--CELLS AND BATTERIES 12

SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE CELLS -- HOW TO MAKE CELLS AND BATTERIES
-- A PLUNGE-BATTERY -- A STORAGE-BATTERY -- DRY-CELLS AND
BATTERIES

CHAPTER III.--PUSH-BUTTONS AND SWITCHES 33

HOW TO MAKE PUSH-BUTTONS -- SWITCHES AND CUT-OUTS -- TABLE-JACK
SWITCHES -- BINDING-POSTS AND CONNECTORS -- LIGHTNING-ARRESTERS
AND FUSE-BLOCKS -- SOME PRACTICAL PRECAUTIONS

CHAPTER IV.--MAGNETS AND INDUCTION-COILS 54

SIMPLE AND HORSESHOE MAGNETS -- INDUCTION-COILS -- AN ELECTRIC
BUZZER -- ELECTRIC BELLS -- A LARGE INDUCTION-COIL --
CIRCUIT-INTERRUPTERS

CHAPTER V.--ANNUNCIATORS AND BELLS 78

A DRUM-SOUNDER -- A SIMPLE ANNUNCIATOR -- A DOUBLE ELECTRIC BELL
-- AN ELECTRIC HORN -- HOW TO MAKE A BURGLAR-ALARM -- ELECTRIC
CALL-SIGNALS -- CLOCK-ALARMS -- A DINING-TABLE CALL

CHAPTER VI.--CURRENT-DETECTORS AND GALVANOMETERS 102

HOW TO MAKE DETECTORS -- AN ASTATIC CURRENT-DETECTOR -- AN
ASTATIC GALVANOMETER -- A TANGENT GALVANOMETER

Part II

CHAPTER VII.--ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE 125

GOVERNING THE ELECTRIC CURRENT -- OHM’S LAW -- RESISTANCE-COILS
AND RHEOSTATS -- HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE APPARATUS -- LIQUID
RESISTANCE -- IMPORTANCE OF SWITCHES -- USES OF A HOUSE-CURRENT
-- RUNNING A SEWING-MACHINE, FAN, OR TOYS -- AN EASY METHOD FOR A
BOY’S USE

CHAPTER VIII.--THE TELEPHONE 156

VIBRATORY WAVES -- A BLADDER TELEPHONE -- A SINGLE (RECEIVER)
LINE -- PLAN OF INSTALLATION -- A DOUBLE-POLE RECEIVER -- THE
TRANSMITTER -- ANOTHER FORM OF TRANSMITTER -- THE WIRING SYSTEM
-- A TELEPHONE INDUCTION-COIL -- AN INSTALLATION PLAN -- A
PORTABLE APPARATUS

CHAPTER IX.--LINE AND WIRELESS TELEGRAPHS 190

A GROUND TELEGRAPH -- HOW TO TALK FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE -- THE
MORSE TELEGRAPH CODE -- A STORY OF EDISON -- HOW DETECTIVES USED
THE CODE -- WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY -- ITS TRUE CHARACTER -- HOW A
BOY CAN MAKE A PRACTICAL APPARATUS -- RECEIVING AND SENDING POLES
-- INDUCTION-COILS, BATTERIES, COHERERS AND DE-COHERERS, ETC. --
WORKING PLANS IN DETAIL -- AËROGRAMS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AND,
PERHAPS, AROUND THE WORLD

CHAPTER X.--DYNAMOS AND MOTORS 229

DEPENDENCE OF MODERN ELECTRICITY UPON THE DYNAMO -- A FIELD OF
FORCE CUTTING ANOTHER FIELD OF FORCE -- VARIETIES OF DYNAMOS --
SIMPLER FORMS OF GENERATORS AND MOTORS -- HOW TO MAKE A
UNI-DIRECTION CURRENT MACHINE -- PERMANENT MAGNET, ARMATURE,
SHAFTS, WHEELS, ETC. -- A SMALL DYNAMO -- MACHINES TO LIGHT
LAMPS, RUN MOTORS, ETC. -- A SPLIT-RING DYNAMO -- A SMALL MOTOR
-- THE FLAT-BED MOTOR -- MOTORS OF OTHER TYPES

CHAPTER XI.--GALVANISM AND ELECTRO-PLATING 266

A FASCINATING USE OF ELECTRICITY -- A SIMPLE ELECTRO-PLATING
OUTFIT -- THE SULPHATE OF COPPER BATH -- HOW TO MAKE THE TANK AND
OTHER APPARATUS -- A VARIETY OF BEAUTIFUL AND USEFUL RESULTS --
EXPLANATIONS OF VARIOUS BATTERIES -- THE CLEANSING PROCESS -- THE
PLATING-BATH -- SILVER-PLATING -- GOLD-PLATING -- NICKEL-PLATING
-- FINISHING -- ELECTROTYPING -- PRACTICAL DETAILS OF INTERESTING
WORK

CHAPTER XII.--MISCELLANEOUS APPARATUS 294

MAKING A ROTARY GLASS-CUTTER -- TO SMOOTH GLASS EDGES -- CUTTING
HOLES IN GLASS -- ANTI-HUM DEVICE FOR METALLIC LINES -- A
REEL-CAR FOR WIRE -- INSULATORS -- JOINTS AND SPLICES --
“GROUNDS” -- THE EDISON ROACH-KILLER -- AN ELECTRIC MOUSE-KILLER

CHAPTER XIII.--FRICTIONAL ELECTRICITY 312

ITS NATURE -- LIMITED USES -- SIMPLICITY OF APPARATUS -- A
“WIMSHURST INFLUENCE MACHINE” -- MATERIALS REQUIRED -- GLASS,
TIN-FOIL, SPINDLES, UPRIGHTS, WHEELS, ETC. -- A LARGE LEYDEN-JAR
-- APPARATUS FOR INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS -- NECESSITY OF CAUTION

CHAPTER XIV.--FORMULÆ 327

ACID-PROOF CEMENTS -- HARD CEMENT -- SOFT CEMENT -- VERY HARD
CEMENT -- CLARK’S COMPOUND -- BATTERY FLUID -- GLASS RUBBING --
ACETIC GLUE -- INSULATORS -- NON-CONDUCTORS -- INSULATING VARNISH
-- BATTERY WAX

CHAPTER XV.--ELECTRIC LIGHT, HEAT AND POWER 334
(By Joseph B. Baker)

THE WORK OF THE DYNAMO -- THE ELECTRIC LIGHT -- USES OF THE
ARC-LIGHT -- INCANDESCENT AND OTHER LAMPS -- ELECTRIC HEAT --
ELECTRIC FURNACES -- WELDING METALS -- ELECTRIC CAR-HEATERS --
HOUSEHOLD USES -- ELECTRIC POWER -- POWER FROM WATER-WHEELS --
TRANSFORMERS -- ROTARY CONVERTERS -- OIL-SWITCHES -- ELECTRIC
TRACTION -- THE TROLLEY-CAR -- THE CONTINUOUS-CURRENT MOTOR --
THE CONTROLLER -- ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES -- OTHER FORMS OF ELECTRIC
TRACTION

A DICTIONARY OF ELECTRICAL TERMS 359