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Elec 2 S

The document summarizes the history of electricity from early observations of static electricity and lightning to the development of batteries, generators, motors and electrical systems for power distribution. It describes how Benjamin Franklin's experiments did not discover electricity but explored existing phenomena. Thomas Edison then developed an improved light bulb and power station for electricity but distribution was initially limited. Later, alternating current systems allowed power to be transmitted over much greater distances than was possible with Edison's direct current initially. The development of batteries also enabled more extensive experimentation with electricity.

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Nurul Atikah Shafie
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92 views1 page

Elec 2 S

The document summarizes the history of electricity from early observations of static electricity and lightning to the development of batteries, generators, motors and electrical systems for power distribution. It describes how Benjamin Franklin's experiments did not discover electricity but explored existing phenomena. Thomas Edison then developed an improved light bulb and power station for electricity but distribution was initially limited. Later, alternating current systems allowed power to be transmitted over much greater distances than was possible with Edison's direct current initially. The development of batteries also enabled more extensive experimentation with electricity.

Uploaded by

Nurul Atikah Shafie
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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History of Electricity

Starting with Ben


Many people think Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity with his famous kite-flying experiments in 1752. That isnt the whole story. Electricity was not discovered all at once. Electricity is an actionnot really a thingso different forms of electricity had been known in nature for a long time. Lightning and static electricity were two forms. In the early years, electricity Image courtesy of NOAA Photo Library became associated with light. After all, electricity lights up the sky during a thunderstorm. Likewise, static electricity creates tiny, fiery sparks. People wanted a cheap and safe way to light their homes, and scientists thought electricity could do it.

Mr. Edison and His Light


In 1879, Thomas Edison focused on inventing a practical light bulb, one that would last a long time before burning out. The challenge was finding a strong material to be used as the filament, the small wire inside the bulb that conducts the electricity. Finally, Edison used ordinary cotton thread that had been soaked in carbon. The filament did not burninstead, it Image courtesy of U.S. Library of Congress became incandescent; that Thomas Edison in his lab in 1901. is, it glowed. These new lights were battery-powered, though, and expensive. The next obstacle was developing an electrical system that could provide people with a practical, inexpensive source of energy. Edison went about looking for ways to make electricity both practical and inexpensive. He engineered the first electric power plant that was able to carry electricity to peoples homes. Edisons Pearl Street Power Station started up its generator on September 4, 1882, in New York City. About 85 customers in lower Manhattan received enough power to light 5,000 lamps. His customers paid a lot for their electricity. In todays dollars, the electricity cost $5 per kilowatt-hour! Todays electricity costs about twelve cents per kilowatt-hour.

A Different Kind of Power: The Battery


The road to developing a practical use of electricity was a long one. Until 1800, there was no dependable source of electricity for experiments. It was in this year that an Italian scientist named Alessandro Volta soaked some paper in salt water, placed zinc and copper on alternate sides of the paper, and watched the chemical reaction produce an electric current. Volta had created the first electric cell. By connecting many of these cells together, Volta was able to string a current and create a battery. (It is in honor of Volta that we measure battery power in volts.) Finally, a safe and dependable source of electricity was available, making it easy for scientists to study electricity. The electric age was just around the corner!

The Question: AC or DC?


The turning point of the electric age came a few years later with the development of AC (alternating current) power systems. Now power plants could transport electricity much farther than before. In 1895, George Westinghouse and his associates opened a major power plant at Niagara Falls that used AC power. While Edisons DC (direct current) plant could only transport electricity within one square mile of his Pearl Street Power Station, the Niagara Falls plant was able to transport electricity over 200 miles! Electricity didnt have an easy beginning. While many people were thrilled with all the new inventions, some people were afraid of electricity and wary of bringing it into their homes. They were afraid to let their children near this strange new power source. Many social critics of the day saw electricity as an end to a simpler, less hectic way of life. Poets commented that electric lights were less romantic than gaslights. Perhaps they were right, but the new electric age could not be dimmed. In 1920, about two percent of U.S. energy was used to make electricity. In 2010, with the increasing use of technologies powered by electricity, it was 41 percent.

A Current Began
English scientist Michael Faraday was the first to realize that an electric current could be produced by passing a magnet through copper wiring. Both the electric generator and the electric motor are based on this principle. (A generator converts motion energy into electricity. A motor converts electrical energy into motion.)

2011 The NEED Project

P.O. Box 10101, Manassas, VA 20108

1.800.875.5029

www.NEED.org

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