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Electricity Day
"🎶 When you're in the dark and you want to see
Electricity, Electricity
Well now flip that switch and what do you get?
Electricity, Electricity"
~ Schoolhouse Rock! Electricity, 1973
Electrical Engineers, Science Teachers, and Storm Chasers! Take note of this glowing filament and plasma coloured tartan! Electricity Day celebrates the anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's famous experiment in 1752 when he allegedly flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove that lightning is a discharge of electricity. Natural electricity has fascinated humans since ancient times. The Greeks discovered the effects of electric charge about 3000 years ago, giving us the word "elektron," which refers to amber. When rubbed against wool, amber attracts lightweight objects like feathers or straw through static charge.Lightning, a powerful form of static electricity, has posed challenges throughout history, especially as buildings grew taller and became more prone to strikes. To combat this, the lightning rod was invented in the 1780s, protecting structures from lightning-induced fires. Lightning rods even influenced Parisian fashion, with gentlemen and ladies carrying top hats and umbrellas equipped with personal lightning rods. Lightning remains a captivating phenomenon. According to NASA, there are about 44 (±5) lightning strikes per second, totaling over 1.4 billion flashes annually. The most lightning-prone area in the world is Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, experiencing Catatumbo lightning about 160 nights a year, with over 280 strikes per hour for 10 hours each night! Snap! Crackle and Zap! 🖤 💛 💜 ⚡⚡⚡
This tartan, designed by Carol Martin, represents the crackle of electricity in the colours of eletric lime, electric indigo, and electric purple against a dark void.
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) along with Nikoa Tesla and Thomas Edison are often referred to as the "Father(s) of Electricity.
Faraday in particular, never had a formal education yet became one of the most influential thinkers in history and discovered and characterized the laws of electromagnetism, invented the first electric motor, and built the first electric generator!
By 1820, other scientists had shown that an electric current produces a magnetic field, and that two electrified wires produce a force on each other. Faraday believed thought there might be a way to harness these forces in a mechanical apparatus. In 1822, he built a device using a magnet, liquid mercury, and a current-carrying wire that turned electrical energy into mechanical energy - the first electric motor.
A decade later, Faraday discovered that the movement of a wire through a stationary magnetic field can induce an electrical current in the wire - electromagnetic induction. To demonstrate, Faraday built a machine in which a copper disc rotated between the two poles of a horseshoe magnet, producing its own power. The machine, later called the Faraday disc, became the first electric generator.
Faraday's work was so groundbreaking few descriptors existed for many of his discoveries. With his fellow scientist William Whewell, Faraday coined a number of words for the forces and concepts he identified, such as electrode, anode, cathode, and ion.
For more on how animals use electricity, click the Tesla coil!