by Dangerous Toy

Created on: July 03, 2007

A loud bang shakes your ear drums and a lightening bolt travels faster than the speed of sound hitting the earth. A flash here, a drum roll there. What was so fantastic about this flash is that it could relate to what we call today electricity.

Ben Franklin, a popular historic figure, was the first to suspect that lightening was an electrical current in nature, and Ben wanted to see if his theory was right. His first test was to see if the lightening would pass through metal. A metal key was used in this experiment but he needed a way to get the key near the lightening. As you probably know a kite was used to prove that lightening is really a steam of electrified air known today as plasma. It was June of 1752 that his famous stormy kite led him to develop many of the terms that we use today when we mention electricity. Some of those words are charge, battery, conductor, and electrician.

Although it was just a hobby for Ben, electricity that is, he made many important contributions. Later scientists such as Thomas Edison and Michael Faraday, continued to study electricity using many of Ben's ideas. Even today, there are scientists out there that are still studying electricity and learning more and more about it each and everyday. Even tho Ben knew that lightning was very dangerous and powerful he did create a way to protect people, buildings and ships using the lightning rod.

We all know that there is much more information out there about the discovery of electricity. Although this is the only important factor that you really need to know. A key, a kite, electricity.

Learn more about this author, Dangerous Toy.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.