Faraday Torch

In the early 1830s, a scientist named Michael Faraday discovered that by passing a magnet through a coil of wire, a small electrical current is created. The same thing happens when a person charges a shake flashlight. A magnet passes back and forth through a coil of wire and creates an electrical current that is then stored in a capacitor. When the flashlight is turned on, the capacitor supplies the stored energy to the bulb much like a battery-powered light.

To use a typical Faraday flashlight, you first shake it for 30 to 60 seconds depending on the model (or up to 3 minutes if the capacitor is fully discharged). This builds up energy in the capacitor. Now turn the flashlight on and use it like a typical flashlight until its lighting power is diminished. Then simply shake it up again and repeat the process as often as needed.