Invention of Electricity

When we flip on a switch, we get electricity instantly and our lights turn on almost like magic but behind this everyday convenience of life is a rich and varied history. It has been a journey of almost 270 years. Humans get electricity, which is a secondary energy source, from the conversion of other sources of energy.

What is Electricity

The term came from the classical Latin electrum, amber, from the Greek ἤλεκτρον (elektron), amber. The origin of the Greek word is unknown, but there is speculation that it might have come from a Phoenician word elēkrŏn, meaning ‘shining light’. Electricity is a form of energy involving the flow of electrons.

History of the invention of electricity

Electricity is a form of energy and it occurs in nature, so it was not “invented.” The truth about the discovery of electricity is a bit more complex than a man flying his kite. It actually goes back more than two thousand years.

Greeks Invention

In about 600 BC, the Ancient Greeks discovered that rubbing fur on amber (fossilized tree resin) caused an attraction between the two – and so what the Greeks discovered was actually static electricity.

Gilberts Contribution

In the year 1600, English physician William Gilbert used the Latin word “electricus” to describe the force that certain substances exert when rubbed against each other. 

The Discovery Of Electricity By Benjamin Franklin

In 1752, Ben Franklin conducted his experiment with a kite, a key, and a storm. In 1752, Ben Franklin conducted his experiment with a kite, a key, and a storm. 

The Creation a Steady Flow Of Electricity By Volta

Italian physicist Alessandro Volta discovered that particular chemical reactions could produce electricity, and in 1800 he constructed the voltaic pile (an early electric battery) that produced a steady electric current, and so he was the first person to create a steady flow of electrical charge. 

The World’s First Current & Electric Motor By Faraday

In 1831 electricity became viable for use in technology when Michael Faraday created the electric dynamo (a crude power generator), which solved the problem of generating electric current in an ongoing and practical way.

Tesla Motors – Electric Cars & Batteries

Later in the 1800’s and early 1900’s Serbian American engineer, inventor, and all around electrical wizard Nikola Tesla became an important contributor to the birth of commercial electricity. He worked with Edison and later had many revolutionary developments in electromagnetism. He is well known for his work with alternating current (AC), AC motors, and the polyphase distribution system.

Electricity is a basic part of nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy. A big thank to the contributor who invented electricity.