Tech History: The Discovery of Electricity

Although they did not fully understand it, the ancient Greeks were aware of the existence of static electricity. They observed that rubbing certain materials together, such as amber and fur, would cause the materials to become charged and attract small objects.

During the 17th century, scientists began to study electricity in a more systematic way. In 1600, William Gilbert published his book “De Magnete,” which explored the properties of magnetism and electricity. He was the first to use the term “electricity,” derived from the Greek word for amber.

In 1752, Benjamin Franklin famously conducted his kite experiment. He flew a kite in a thunderstorm to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity. His work helped to establish the basic principles of electricity, including the idea that it flows from positive to negative charges.

In the early 19th century, Alessandro Volta conducted a series of experiments that led to the invention of the first battery. He discovered that when two different metals were placed in an acidic solution, a current would flow between them. This discovery paved the way for the creation of a reliable and consistent source of electrical power.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, scientists continued to make groundbreaking discoveries in the field of electricity. Michael Faraday’s work on electromagnetism and James Clerk Maxwell’s development of the electromagnetic theory of light paved the way for the invention of the telegraph, telephone, and radio.

Today, electricity is an essential part of modern life, powering everything from light bulbs to smartphones to entire cities. While the discovery of electricity may have started with simple observations of static charges, it has since transformed our world in ways that would have been unimaginable to those early observers.