Hauksbee, a student of Robert Boyle, conducted numerous experiments on a wide range of topics. They are fully described in his Physico-Mechanical Experiments (1709). He worked as demonstrator at the Royal Society and became a fellow in 1705. Under the supervision of Newton he conducted a series of experiments on capillary action (the movement of water through pores, caused by surface tension) using tubes and glass plates. He also made improvements to the air pump and made a thorough investigation of static electricity, showing that friction could produce luminous effects in a vacuum.