Benjamin Franklin: Experiment with Electricity

Benjamin Franklin: Experiment with Electricity

Abstract

            Franklin stood to be a major contributor in the field of science, especially physics and managed to bring forth a different dimension of lightning. He was instrumental in the enlightening of America and the shape of its science and innovation. The paper has two main sections; the first one dealing with Franklin’s general life and impact in America and the second part exclusively deals with his experiment with electricity.

Introduction

            Benjamin Franklin is among those ranked to have founded the United States of America. Franklin was a versatile player in shaping the human life which saw him get involved in various fields. He was a leading political theorist, author, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and a diplomat among others. Franklin became a major personality in the quest to enlighten America and with his theories and discoveries in physics; he became a key player in the history of physics. As a scientist, he invented many things among them being a stove, an odometer carriage, the lightning rod, the glass 'armonica' and bifocals. In his lifetime, Franklin engaged in the facilitation of numerous civic organizations, a university and a fire department. In the verge of his campaigns for colonial unity, Franklin earned himself a title as, ‘The First American’. Due to his authorial prominence and being a spokesman for several London colonies, and then being an ambassador of France in America, he greatly contributed to the growth of America.

¹Brands, Harison (2010) The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. Random   House Digital. p. 390.

Franklin’s contributions and inventions

            Franklin was involved in the structuring of the ethos and morals of American such as issues pertaining to marriage, community spirit, education, opposition to authoritarianismin politics and religion. He created a lot of impact in self-governing institutions following his introduction of discoveries vis-à-vis his tolerant and scientific values of the enlightenment in America. Franklin was the most accomplished American during his age and had great influence in the inventions and shaping up the American societal stracture.² Franklin invented prodigiously in his lifetime. He invented a lot of things and had many creations among them being the urinary catheter that was deemed flexible. Franklin was always motivated to have his own inventions and believed that humans should not only rely on the inventions of others but should also seek to invent things that have never been invented. The experiment relating to electricity that Franklin undertook was famously referred to as the kite experiment. This scientific experiment was adopted by Benjamin Franklin and experiment's main purpose was to try and unearth the hidden facts about lightning’s and electricity’s nature. This experiment was mooted by the fact that in 1750, there were public discussions in France concerning the lightning bearing an electrical nature.² During that time, Franklin was interested in the subject and had listed a dozen concepts in relation to electricity and lightning in his notebooks. The experiment with electricity (Kite experiment)

            Franklin then decided to use a kite in his experiment with electricity having realized the dangers posed by using conductive rods. In making the kite, Franklin first made a small cross of cedar forming two light strips, ensuring that the arms were long reaching the four corners of the large thin silk

² Leo, Lemay. The Life of Benjamin Franklin: Soldier, Scientist, and Politician, 1748-1757.(Penysylvania: Pennsylvania Press,2008) p. 245

handkerchief he used. The edge of the handkerchief was tied to the ends of the cross to form the body of a kite, which was properly fitted and matched the tail, loop, and string, and was able to rise in the air just like the kites made using paper.  Franklin used silk majorly to allow it to bear the wetness of the rain and to avoid tearing in the thunder and wind. He then attached to it a pointed wire that was very sharp at the top of the stick that was upright, rising more than a foot above the wood. He then fastened the end of the twine. Franklin then raised the kite when a thunder-gust appeared to be coming on while standing within a door to avoid wetting the silk ribbon. He made sure that twine did not make any contact with the door frame. Thunder clouds soon come above the kite, the pointed wire on the kite then drew the electric fire and then the kite was electrified with all the twine. Consequently, the loose filaments attached to the twine stood out in every way and could be attracted by a finger or a close object. The kite then plentifully streamed outwards from the key following the approach of the knuckle once the rain had wetted the kite and the twine. This made it to freely conduct the electric fire. The phial was charged at the key and electric fire was obtained leading to the kindling of the spirits. This elaborated on the similarity as all the experiments relating to electricity are always performed using a glass object that is always rubbed and do bear the same results as  that of lightning. In that experiment, the kite was less to electrocute Franklin because he stayed on the ground as the kite flew higher. He ensured that the kite’ string was dry at the end he was holding for insulation while allowing rest of the string to be rained on to provide conductivity.³ Franklin assumed that the key attached to the string and then connected to a  jar was accumulating electricity from the bolt of the lightning, a fact that was correct. During the experiment, visible lightening did not strike the kite. However, Franklin observed that strings attached to the kite were repelling each other thus concluding that there was some charging of the Leyden jar. ³

³Vladimir, Rakov & Martin, Uman. Lightning: Physics and Effects. (London:Cambridge University Press, 2007)  656.

Conclusion

            At the end of his experiment, Franklin claimed to have received a shock that was mild afterwards when he moved his hand towards the key. He then deduced that the lightning had ultimately charged the Leyden jar and the key with negative charges. This was proof that lightning has an electric nature. Franklin feared that his experiment was bound to fail and thus be ridiculed. That is the reason as to why during the experiment he took his son only and his publishing of the results of his experiment is in third person.

 Bibliography

Brands. (2010) The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. Random House Digital. p. 390.

Leo, Lemay (2008). The Life of Benjamin Franklin: Soldier, Scientist, and Politician, 1748-1757.  Pennsylvania : Pennsylvania Press. p. 245

Vladimir, Rakov & Martin, Uman ( 2007). Lightning: Physics and Effects. London: Cambridge University Press. pp. 656.