Electricity is a naturally occurring force in the world.It was not a person who invented the electric current, more so discovered it and bound it to objects that make use of it.It is a force of nature that is all around us, even something as simple as rubbing a ruler on your head generates static electrical charge, strong enough to lift tiny bits of paper. It is seen in the oceans, with electric fish and in the sky with lightning. Electricity has become one one of the world’s most basic necessities. We see it all around us. In the lights that power our home, the battery that powers our car’s motor, right down to something as small as a child’s toy.It has been turned into a common object that is seen all over the world, even in the most remote parts. It has been an essential aspect of all parts of science, be it physics, chemistry, and in biology. Yes, our bodies also contain electrical charges. Our bodies produce electricity, which are known as ions. These ions are used as electrical signals that allow one part of our body to communicate with another part, so for example when you prick your finger, the cells in the finger send a message to your nervous system using an electrical charge that registers pain based on how severe the prick was.The larger aspect of this is used to power cities and countries. High voltage power lines carry current over long distances. These are large towers that are built all over the world that transport electricity. They have a massive height, in order to safely transport a high voltage over greater distances without risking the safety of any life, human or any other living organism.Do not forget to check out other fun articles like do June bugs bite and do mice bite.Who discovered static electricity?Static electricity has a fascinating history behind it. It spans over centuries, and unlike an alternating current, it has been around for some of the very first human civilisations.The first encounter humans had with static electricity was in 600 BC, when the Ancient Greeks observed that when they rubbed amber with fur, there was sudden attraction between the two! This was one of the earliest discoveries of the phenomenon of static electricity. While there were these small tangles with electric charges, the real discoveries and utilisations were made near the beginning of 17th century AD.The physician William Gilbert made use of the Latin word ’electricus’ as a description of the force created when two objects rub against each other. It was a phrasing of static electricity. Gilbert’s work showed promise as Dutch physicist Pieter van Musschenbroek, and German inventor Ewald Georg von Kleist made progress in being able to store static electricity in a device independently. This device was called a Leyden jar. This was the lynchpin in creating one of our most essential components of electrical devices, the capacitor.However, the Leyden jar from the 18 century AD remained to be a demonstration tool that would be used in classes. A few years after Gilbert’s usage of the work electricus, Thomas Browne used the word electricity in several of his books to provide a descriptions of the foray he made into Gilbert’s works. Over time, more brilliant minds took it on themselves to study and use electricity. Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist, became the first person to discover that certain chemical reactions, if taken place under correct circumstances, would be able to generate an electric charge. This electrical charge is what we call current.Volta was the first person to discover current. Little did he know that this invention would go on to form the basic battery, which is an absolutely crucial part of our lives. His invention became the first source of continuous electric current. The battery has been one of the most commonly available sources of energy. It is a source of energy made available to the masses at low prices.Another important figure in the discovery of static electrical charge was Michael Faraday. Michael Faraday led the field of electricity and magnetism, and was one of the first people to use electricity in line with magnets. While he did make certain forays into electromagnetic induction, the true patron of this specific section was Andre-Marie Ampere, a French physicist.Who is the real founder of electricity?The word founder carries the implication of someone who establishes a thing. Electricity was not established.It has existed long before humans learned to harness and wield it. There is no real founder of electricity, however there is a larger conflict that is seen in the history of electricity at play, among the two pioneers in the field. Thomas Edison, known as the brilliant inventor of the electric bulb. The majority of books and articles would have you believe Edison was this genius who is one of the founding forces with electricity and electrical bulbs.While this is partially true, Edison is seen as more of a publicity hog in the scientific world. Indeed he discovered and worked to file the patent for an electrical system that would use direct current to power light bulbs in New York, however Edison has a history of plagiarising work. Edison is the reason why inventors such as Warren de la Rue and Joseph Swann did not receive much credit or money of commercial sales of their own variation of the light bulb. He picked up on from their work and made it his own discovery.One of the biggest conflicts in the history of science was one that took place between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. Their electrical systems went head to head with each other. It was a battle of Tesla’s alternating current and Edison’s direct current. Nikola Tesla was at the heart of a more futuristic aspect of electricity, trying to wirelessly transport things like the radio and images. Tesla discovered alternating current and began working to make devices that made use of it.He worked on the Tesla coil to develop wireless electricity that would make providing power to the most remote regions of the world easier. Edison discounted Tesla’s alternating current, as it was too ahead of its time, and labelled Tesla’s experiments as wasteful, in favor of his own simple concept of direct current. Tesla and his experiments, were they given more time and in a more modern world, might have been a source of extraordinary electrical energy feats humans have never seen before. However, while both of them were pioneers in their fields, neither of them invented electricity, they just discovered different ways of using it to our benefit.When did Benjamin Franklin discover electricity?Benjamin Franklin was the founding father of the United States of America. His role in the former colonies becoming one of the most prosperous nation in the world has been well known, but did you know he was an inventor?Benjamin Franklin was one of the greatest minds of his age. He was pivotal in making good on the work done by William Gilbert and proved the existence of electrical charge and electricity in nature through an experiment he designed. He gave thorough proof in 1752 that demonstrated the existence of electricity in lightning. Franklin originally designed the experiment with the thesis that electricity contained positive and negative elements which facilitated the flow of electricity and was present in lightning.Did Ben Franklin get struck by lightning?Benjamin Franklin worked hard to prove that his thesis was true. He used a very simple experiment, containing only three items that would be necessary for the results.His experiment made use of three simple objects a kite, a metal key, and a storm. His plan was to tie the metal key to the end of the string of the kite, which would act as a conductor for any electrical current that would flow through the string. All he needed to do was fly the kite during a storm and wait for lightning to connect with the kite. Once that happened, the current would flow through and shock him. And so it did, and his discovery was made. Franklin got shocked but made the discovery that static electricity does indeed exist in lightning.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Who Discovered Electricity? Curious Electricity Facts Revealed For Kids! then why not take a look at What Grows On Palm Trees? Fascinating Palm Facts Revealed For Kids, or How Many Eighths In An Ounce? Curious Measurement Facts For Kids!
Electricity is a naturally occurring force in the world.
