If a charge Q is placed on the metal plates, the voltage rises to amount V. If contact was broken between the wire and the source of electricity, and the wire was touched with the other hand, a discharge took place that was experienced as a violent shock. The jar was charged by holding it in one hand and bringing the exposed end of the wire into contact with an electrical device. The original Leyden jar was a stoppered glass jar containing water, with a wire or nail extending through the stopper into the water. Leyden Jar is one of the earliest and simplest forms of electric capacitor, invented independently about 1745 by the Dutch physicist Pieter van Musschenbroek of the University of Leyden and Ewald Georg von Kleist of Pomerania. Gowen Knight produces the first artificial magnets for sale to scientific investigators and terrestrial navigators. Servigton Savery produces the first compound magnet by binding together a number of artificial magnets with a common pole piece at each end. 1734 - Electrical Attraction and RepulsionĬharles Francois de Cisternay Du Fay first to recognize two kinds of electricity. Stephen Gray describes that power possessed by one electrified body could be passed to another by connecting them. Otto von Guericke invents a crude machine for producing static electricity. Gilbert recorded three ways to magnetize a steel needle: by touch with a loadstone by cold drawing in a North-South direction and by exposure for a long time to the Earth's magnetic field while in a North-South orientation. "De Magnete" opened the era of modern physics and astronomy and started a century marked by the great achievements of Galileo, Kepler, Newton and others. Gilbert also studied magnetism and in 1600 wrote "De magnete" which gave the first rational explanation to the mysterious ability of the compass needle to point north-south: the Earth itself was magnetic. It was not until the end of the 19th century that this "something" was found to consist of negative electricity, known today as electrons. These terms are derived from the Greek word "electron" meaning amber and from this, the term "electricity" was developed. In describing this property today, we say that the amber is "electrified" or possesses and "electric charge". William Gilbert, realized that a force was created, when a piece of amber (resin) was rubbed with wool and attracted light objects. They did not realize that an equal amount of opposite electricity remained on the fur or silk. Scientists thought that the friction actually created the electricity (their word for charge). Electricity repels the same kind and attracts the opposite kind of electricity. When rubbed with fur, amber acquires resinous electricity glass, however, when rubbed with silk, acquires vitreous electricity. In the 16th century, William Gilbert(1544-1603), the Court Physician to Queen Elizabeth I, proved that many other substances are electric (from the Greek word for amber, elektron) and that they have two electrical effects. Petrus Peregrinus de Marincourt, a French Crusader, describes a floating compass and a compass with a pivot point. 1269 - First Detailed Description of a Compass Albans describes the workings of a compass. 1175 - First Reference to a CompassĪlexander Neckem an English monk of St. We now know that there are three ways to generate electricity: Static, Electrochemical and Electromagnetic Induction. This strange effect remained a mystery for over 2000 years, until, around AD 1600, Dr William Gilbert investigated the reactions of amber and magnets and first recorded the word 'Electric' in a report on the theory of magnetism. ![]() For centuries this strange, inexplicable property was thought to be unique to amber. As early as 600 BC the Greek philosopher, Aristophanes was aware of its peculiar property: when rubbed with a piece of fur, amber develops the ability to attract small pieces of material such as feathers. ![]() 600 BC - Electric ChargeĪmber is a yellowish, translucent mineral. ![]() The magnetic properties of natural ferric ferrite (Fe 3O 4) stones (lodestones) were described by Greek philosophers.
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