An electric bell has been ringing at Oxford University for more than 180 years: the battery composition is still unknown!

This device is one of the longest lasting scientific experiments, and it is located in the corridor near the Clarendon Laboratory of Oxford University, England. The bell has been there since 1840, and is collected and purchased by Robert Walker, a priest and physicist, so it is called "Oxford bell".

Although the sound is not loud, this ancient device is still running and making sound. It has gone through the test of time for more than 180 years and has never stopped.

The "Oxford Bell" includes two brass bells, and a dry stack is installed on the top of each bell. When a metal ball touches one of the bells, it will charge and repel itself through static electricity, and then collide with another bell. This repeated cycle continues, resulting in a swing frequency of 2 Hz (that is, two swings per second). So far, the "Oxford bell" has vibrated more than 10 billion times.

Interestingly, when the device was first purchased by Oxford University in 1840, the manufacturer estimated that it could only operate for 3-4 years at most. However, the actual situation is far beyond expectations. What is the battery power supply of the "Oxford Bell" is still unknown. This is an ongoing experiment, so it has not been disassembled yet.

However, according to people's understanding of its work, the reason why the "Oxford Bell" can operate for a long time is because of its energy-saving characteristics. The metal ball swings through electrostatic force, which requires high voltage power supply - up to 2000 volts. But each swing only loses about 1 microamp of power. To stop the device, either the brass bell is polished; Either the charge of the two dry stacks is evenly distributed.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that in history, many people tried to replicate this experiment but failed.

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