How Benjamin Franklin Discovered the True Nature of Electricity
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Date: 2022-12-27
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Comments and reviews: 20
Geoffrey
When antennas are put up with kites or balloons, there is a need for a bleeder resistor that bleeds the charge off the wire for safety and to protect equipment. Without this, the charge can be lethal or at least harmful to other equipment. I have always wondered if this was closer to franklin's experiment. Actually doing this in a lightning storm would be very dangerous. Franklin had a flare for the dramatic and might have just jazzed up his story with the lightning bit. I am not sure, but it simply makes more sense that it was done with clouds, not lightning. It would have charged a leyden jar on a clear sunny day, but clouds are probably the way he thought of it. In 1868, Mahlon Loomis actually created wireless telegraphy. On one hill top a long wire to a kite, then to a morse code key. The other side of the key went to a similar length coil spread around on the ground (this is a counterpoise. On another hill top, a mile or so away, the same arrangement but with a galvanometer to show the signal instead of the key. Tapping the key caused a charge movement which affected the other wire on the hilltop and was detected in the galvanometer. (Ham Call Sign W1GCF)
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When antennas are put up with kites or balloons, there is a need for a bleeder resistor that bleeds the charge off the wire for safety and to protect equipment. Without this, the charge can be lethal or at least harmful to other equipment. I have always wondered if this was closer to franklin's experiment. Actually doing this in a lightning storm would be very dangerous. Franklin had a flare for the dramatic and might have just jazzed up his story with the lightning bit. I am not sure, but it simply makes more sense that it was done with clouds, not lightning. It would have charged a leyden jar on a clear sunny day, but clouds are probably the way he thought of it. In 1868, Mahlon Loomis actually created wireless telegraphy. On one hill top a long wire to a kite, then to a morse code key. The other side of the key went to a similar length coil spread around on the ground (this is a counterpoise. On another hill top, a mile or so away, the same arrangement but with a galvanometer to show the signal instead of the key. Tapping the key caused a charge movement which affected the other wire on the hilltop and was detected in the galvanometer. (Ham Call Sign W1GCF)
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Pellervo
Up to this point I have believed something I read in a big book published in late 1920's or early 1930s. Its name was (translated) about: Electricity and its Use. I recall it claimed that the polarity of current flow naming was defined from the behavior of current in liquid (water. That means, from the chemical effects of current. I guess the mentioned effects were the galvanic kind, i. e. metal ion travel direction in a plating process. Although they also described how some wet process could be used to rectify AC into DC, although the efficiency was poor, until mercury was used as one electrode. Well, later on it has been realized that the electrochemical series between different metals or actually most elements is the root cause and we use that in semiconductor diodes wit hugely better efficiency. Anyway, the basic idea that stuck to my mind was that the positive to negative current direction had been defined from the wet electrochemical observations.
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Up to this point I have believed something I read in a big book published in late 1920's or early 1930s. Its name was (translated) about: Electricity and its Use. I recall it claimed that the polarity of current flow naming was defined from the behavior of current in liquid (water. That means, from the chemical effects of current. I guess the mentioned effects were the galvanic kind, i. e. metal ion travel direction in a plating process. Although they also described how some wet process could be used to rectify AC into DC, although the efficiency was poor, until mercury was used as one electrode. Well, later on it has been realized that the electrochemical series between different metals or actually most elements is the root cause and we use that in semiconductor diodes wit hugely better efficiency. Anyway, the basic idea that stuck to my mind was that the positive to negative current direction had been defined from the wet electrochemical observations.
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General
Franklin wasn't the first to come up with the idea of positive and negative charges. This was done by the reclusive Henry Cavendish (1663-1746. The history of Henry has been confused with that of a northener, Charles Cavendish (1731-1810) from Derbyshire. Henry was primarily a Londoner and he did most of his work at a vicarage in Clapham. On top of which he had erected a lightening conductor because the Royal Artillery had asked how to protect their gunpowder stores from lightening strikes. It would seem that this Peter Collinson forwarded Henry's electrical investigations to Franklin. But this begs the questions; How did Collinson know of Franklin? And why had he sent him this 'electrical gift'?
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Franklin wasn't the first to come up with the idea of positive and negative charges. This was done by the reclusive Henry Cavendish (1663-1746. The history of Henry has been confused with that of a northener, Charles Cavendish (1731-1810) from Derbyshire. Henry was primarily a Londoner and he did most of his work at a vicarage in Clapham. On top of which he had erected a lightening conductor because the Royal Artillery had asked how to protect their gunpowder stores from lightening strikes. It would seem that this Peter Collinson forwarded Henry's electrical investigations to Franklin. But this begs the questions; How did Collinson know of Franklin? And why had he sent him this 'electrical gift'?
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snnwstt
Only electrons move. that holds only in a solid.
In a liquid or in a gaz, a positive ion moves too. Otherwise, how would a battery work? The internal path would be easier (less resistive, since we don't want high internal resistance) than the external part (the circuit) and since both paths are in parallel, there will be almost no current in the external part (in our circuit.
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Only electrons move. that holds only in a solid.
In a liquid or in a gaz, a positive ion moves too. Otherwise, how would a battery work? The internal path would be easier (less resistive, since we don't want high internal resistance) than the external part (the circuit) and since both paths are in parallel, there will be almost no current in the external part (in our circuit.
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ghost
Well id argue electricity is just pure state of energy but energy constantly is transmitted dissolved thus the universe is cold and dark by default however the LHC has proven that outrageous quantum theory like electrons time traveling when you make it impossible for them to escape.
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Well id argue electricity is just pure state of energy but energy constantly is transmitted dissolved thus the universe is cold and dark by default however the LHC has proven that outrageous quantum theory like electrons time traveling when you make it impossible for them to escape.
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Kurt
We could have just as easily called an electron a positive charge, but we didn't - I blame Thompson for breaking Franklin's established convention.
In Chinese culture, maps are drawn with what the west calls the South at the top of the map, so it's just a matter of perspective.
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We could have just as easily called an electron a positive charge, but we didn't - I blame Thompson for breaking Franklin's established convention.
In Chinese culture, maps are drawn with what the west calls the South at the top of the map, so it's just a matter of perspective.
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EJ
I thought there is movement both ways. and that it was the electro-magnetic field that actually moves first from the positive side and that forces the electrons to move. Effectively it is like a teacher running down the hall telling all the kids to return to class.
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I thought there is movement both ways. and that it was the electro-magnetic field that actually moves first from the positive side and that forces the electrons to move. Effectively it is like a teacher running down the hall telling all the kids to return to class.
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John
Great videos! At around the 4: 38 mark you state that it's really the electrons that flow. Where and when and who figured this out? I still can't find the source to this claim. Again great stories and the quick demonstrations are a fun addition to the videos!
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Great videos! At around the 4: 38 mark you state that it's really the electrons that flow. Where and when and who figured this out? I still can't find the source to this claim. Again great stories and the quick demonstrations are a fun addition to the videos!
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Steve
I wonder why we have decided electrons are negative? I mean they don't have little minus signs on them, do they? Is there something missing from an electron that makes it negative, or was it just an arbitrary decision to call them negative?
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I wonder why we have decided electrons are negative? I mean they don't have little minus signs on them, do they? Is there something missing from an electron that makes it negative, or was it just an arbitrary decision to call them negative?
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Eric
I see you are in San Francisco. I am in Pacifica. Please. Please let's be friends. I want to show you my experiments that resolve the wave-particle paradox of quantum mechanics. I love your work. I can help you with experiments.
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I see you are in San Francisco. I am in Pacifica. Please. Please let's be friends. I want to show you my experiments that resolve the wave-particle paradox of quantum mechanics. I love your work. I can help you with experiments.
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Sohan
Hey Kathy, at 5: 35 you talk about running a large amount of current through a gold leaf. Why does running a large current through it cause it to glow and sparkle? Are there any other metals/materials with this property?
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Hey Kathy, at 5: 35 you talk about running a large amount of current through a gold leaf. Why does running a large current through it cause it to glow and sparkle? Are there any other metals/materials with this property?
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Daniel
I love your videos, Kathy! Can you recommend me some books or other sources to learn more about the history of electricity? I find that Wikipedia articles don't go into such depth as your videos
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I love your videos, Kathy! Can you recommend me some books or other sources to learn more about the history of electricity? I find that Wikipedia articles don't go into such depth as your videos
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Pierre
If you rub glass with wool the glass will be left positively charged and the wool charged negatively. Check the tribo series list. I love your presentation keep your good work.
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If you rub glass with wool the glass will be left positively charged and the wool charged negatively. Check the tribo series list. I love your presentation keep your good work.
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charles
dang this helps me with my project 4th grade Ben Franklin tysm I gathered so much info from this vid gg idk how to put a hearet emogie someone teach me how BYEEEEEEEE
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dang this helps me with my project 4th grade Ben Franklin tysm I gathered so much info from this vid gg idk how to put a hearet emogie someone teach me how BYEEEEEEEE
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Hisham
7: 38 actually buffon is the name of the village or city where his property was! And compte in french means count like count and countess. His name is Leclarc
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7: 38 actually buffon is the name of the village or city where his property was! And compte in french means count like count and countess. His name is Leclarc
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Pixxel
Nvm, looks like I didn't miss anything. I couldn't wait to get home to continue this series. You even have that stinking theme song stuck in my head. LOL
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Nvm, looks like I didn't miss anything. I couldn't wait to get home to continue this series. You even have that stinking theme song stuck in my head. LOL
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Robert
Hi Kathy. If current flows from positive to negative in an electrical circuit then it must flow from negative to positive within the battery itself?
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Hi Kathy. If current flows from positive to negative in an electrical circuit then it must flow from negative to positive within the battery itself?
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Ibrahim
How Ben Franklin knew that glass person has got equal but opposite charge of brush person? How he knew about positive and negative?
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How Ben Franklin knew that glass person has got equal but opposite charge of brush person? How he knew about positive and negative?
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ANNA
The sign of the charge is arbitrary, and the current carriers in some materials are p-type (electron holes) not electrons.
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The sign of the charge is arbitrary, and the current carriers in some materials are p-type (electron holes) not electrons.
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Proverbios
So why did the heck. they assigned negative to the electron? they should have assigned positive to it
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So why did the heck. they assigned negative to the electron? they should have assigned positive to it
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