Trystan Casey
The development of electricity has been a long and convoluted process, with myriad technological milestones and conceptual and technical advancements from hundreds of contributors. While electricity is a part of nature and wasn't invented, humans have been harnessing it since the 18th century, with the process expedited by Benjamin Franklin's famous kite experiment in 1752. The first electric battery, known as the voltaic pile, was invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800, providing scientists with a more reliable source of electrical energy. This was followed by the invention of the first electrical generator in 1831 by Michael Faraday, who also invented the electric motor in 1821. The steam turbine, still used today to convert the thermal energy of steam into a rotary motion, was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884. These inventions, along with improvements in lighting technology, such as Humphry Davy's first effective arc lamp in 1808, and the development of the light bulb by Thomas Edison, played a key role in the widespread adoption of electricity in homes, businesses, and streetlights by the late 19th century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First working transistor | Germanium-based point-contact transistor, invented by John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain at Bell Labs in 1947 |
| Bipolar junction transistor | Invented in 1948 |
| First electrical generator | Invented by Faraday in 1831 |
| First electric motor | Invented by Michael Faraday in 1821 |
| First battery | Invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800 |
| First arc lamp | Invented by Humphry Davy in 1808 |
| First light bulb | Perfected by Thomas Edison; other inventors include Humphry Davy and Joseph Swan |
| First power plant | Opened by Thomas Edison in New York City in 1882 |
| First gas turbine | Invented by Jens William Aegidius Elling in 1903 |
| First jet engine | Patented by Sir Frank Whittle in 1930 |
| First steam turbine | Invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884 |
| First gas engine | Invented by Étienne Lenoir in Paris in 1859 |
| First electrical generator in the US | Used by a house in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1882 |
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What You'll Learn
Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment in 1752
Franklin then realized that he could use a kite to get closer to the clouds. In June 1752, he flew a kite with a metal key attached to the bottom of a conductive rope during a thunderstorm. He did this to test whether the metal key would draw an electrical charge from the sharp rod attached to the kite. His hypothesis turned out to be correct, as he observed an electric spark after touching the key.
Based on the results of this experiment, Franklin invented lightning rods, which are still used today to prevent lightning-caused fires. His discoveries led to many advancements regarding electricity, and he was awarded the Copley Medal by London's Royal Society—the equivalent of the Nobel Prize at the time.
There are doubts about where and how the experiment was carried out, as it was not independently observed. A similar experiment was carried out by Thomas-François Dalibard in Marly-la-Ville in northern France in May 1752. Trying to imitate the experiment, Georg Wilhelm Richmann died in Saint Petersburg in August 1753, believed to have been struck by lightning. Jacques de Romas also developed a kite experiment very similar to Franklin's in 1753, further proving the relationship between lightning and electricity.
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Alessandro Volta's battery in 1800
In 1800, Alessandro Volta, an Italian chemist and physicist, invented the voltaic pile, an early electric battery that produced a steady electric current. This invention was the result of a professional disagreement with Luigi Galvani, who had discovered "animal electricity" in the 1790s. Galvani observed that the muscles of dissected frogs would seem to jump back to life under certain conditions, such as when he touched his scalpel to a specimen's nerve in a room with an electrostatic machine. Volta's experiments led him to conclude that animal tissue was not necessary for the production of electricity, and that any moist material between different metals would generate electricity. This idea became known as "metallic electricity".
Volta's battery, made from alternating layers of zinc and copper, provided scientists with a more reliable source of electrical energy than the electrostatic machines previously used. Initially, Volta experimented with individual cells in series, each cell being a wine goblet filled with brine into which two dissimilar electrodes were dipped. The voltaic pile replaced these goblets with cardboard soaked in brine, making it a simpler and more compact tool. The electrolyte in the battery could be either sulfuric acid mixed with water or a form of saltwater brine.
The voltaic pile soon became popular at public and private demonstrations, which were a form of entertainment during that period. In 1801, Volta demonstrated the pile for Napoleon and his court, impressing the French leader so much that he was made a count. The device facilitated many scientific discoveries in the early 19th century. For example, just months after Volta's invention became public, William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle used it to divide water into its basic components, hydrogen and oxygen, thus creating a new branch of science called electrochemistry.
Despite its revolutionary nature, the voltaic pile had some limitations. The number of cells that could be stacked in each pile was restricted due to the weight of the upper cells, which could squeeze out the brine from the lower cells. Additionally, the metal disks tended to corrode over time, resulting in a short device lifespan. Nevertheless, Volta's battery was a significant step forward in the development of electricity, and scientists made many improvements to it over the years, gradually evolving it into the modern battery.
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Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb
Thomas Alva Edison, born in Ohio on February 11, 1847, was one of the most well-known inventors of all time. He spent most of his time experimenting and set up a laboratory in the basement of his family's Michigan home. Edison's incandescent light bulb was a spark of brilliance on the timeline of invention.
From 1878 to 1880, Edison and his associates worked on at least three thousand different theories to develop an efficient incandescent lamp. Incandescent lamps make light by using electricity to heat a thin strip of material (called a filament) until it gets hot enough to glow. Edison's lamp consisted of a filament housed in a glass vacuum bulb. He had his own glass-blowing shed where the fragile bulbs were carefully crafted for his experiments. Edison was trying to create a high-resistance system that would require far less electrical power than the arc lamps that were already in existence.
In January 1879, at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, Edison built his first high-resistance, incandescent electric light. It worked by passing electricity through a thin platinum filament in the glass vacuum bulb, which delayed the filament from melting. However, the lamp only burned for a few hours. To improve the bulb, Edison tested thousands of other materials to use for the filament. He even considered using tungsten, but the tools available at the time made this impossible. Eventually, he began to carbonize materials to be used for the filament, testing the carbonized filaments of many different plants.
In October 1879, Edison publicly demonstrated the first electric light bulbs, with carbon filament bulbs becoming available commercially that same year. Edison's incandescent light bulb began to gain widespread popularity in Europe, and he was even asked to install his electric lighting system on the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company's new steamer, the Columbia, in 1880. This was Edison's first commercial application for his incandescent light bulb.
Edison's incandescent light bulb was a significant invention that contributed to the development of electricity. By creating a high-resistance system that required less electrical power, Edison's work with light bulbs helped to make electricity more accessible and affordable, leading to its increased use and development.
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Michael Faraday's electric motor in 1821
Michael Faraday is known for his work in the field of electromagnetism, as well as his skills as a chemist, lecturer, and experimentalist. In 1821, Faraday invented the electric motor, which was a groundbreaking development in the history of electricity.
Faraday's work in this field began when he was asked to write a historical account of electromagnetism, a field that was only a few years old at the time. He recreated Ørsted's experiments and tried to follow Ampère's mathematical reasoning. Faraday's "Historical Sketch of Electro-Magnetism" was published anonymously in the Annals, and it described the state of the field, current research questions, experimental apparatus, theoretical developments, and the major players.
Faraday's electric motor was the result of his curiosity and experimentation. He observed the circular rotation of a wire as it was attracted and repelled by magnetic poles. On 3 September 1821, he recorded his observations in his notebook, sketching a clockwise rotation around the south pole of the magnet and a counter-clockwise rotation around the north pole. This was a significant discovery, as it showed that electricity and magnetism were not two distinct phenomena, as was previously believed, but that the flow of electricity through a wire created a magnetic field around it.
Faraday continued his work in electromagnetism and, in 1831, he created the first electric transformer. He also discovered that he could produce a constant current by rotating a copper disc between the two poles of a permanent magnet. This was the first dynamo and the direct ancestor of truly useful electric motors.
Faraday's work in electromagnetism and the invention of the electric motor were important contributions to the development of electricity. His discoveries and inventions laid the foundation for further advancements in electric power and technology.
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Steam turbine invention by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884
The steam turbine, invented by Sir Charles Algernon Parsons in 1884, was a groundbreaking innovation that revolutionised electricity generation and marine propulsion. Parsons, an Anglo-Irish mechanical engineer and inventor, designed the modern steam turbine, which remains significant even today.
The steam turbine harnesses the thermal energy of steam, converting it into a rotary motion that drives electro-mechanical generators. This mechanism differs significantly from Faraday's homopolar disc generator of 1831, yet it builds upon Faraday's electromagnetic principle. Parsons' turbine engine achieved an impressive rotational speed of 18,000 RPM, and he promptly utilised it to power an electrical generator.
Parsons' invention was a compound steam turbine that addressed the challenges of scaling in turbine design. He mitigated the issue of high-velocity steam causing a cutting action on metal by dividing the pressure drop into small fractional expansions across numerous turbines in series. This innovation ensured moderate surface velocities and speeds of rotation, enhancing the turbine's acceptance as a prime mover.
The steam turbine's initial applications were on land, but Parsons always envisioned its potential for marine propulsion. In the 1890s, he expanded the use of his turbines as engines for propeller-driven steamships. To showcase their capabilities, Parsons constructed the Turbinia, a small, turbine-powered steamship that outperformed the Royal Navy's boats during Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebration. This demonstration led to the adoption of turbine-driven ships by the Navy, solidifying the steam turbine's impact on marine propulsion.
Sir Charles Parsons' steam turbine invention in 1884 was a pivotal moment in the development of electricity, paving the way for efficient power generation and revolutionising marine transportation. His contributions to electrical engineering and propulsion systems continue to be recognised and celebrated.
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Frequently asked questions
Some of the earliest inventions that contributed to the development of electricity include Benjamin Franklin's famous kite experiment in 1752, Alessandro Volta's battery in 1800, Humphry Davy's first effective "arc lamp" in 1808, and Hans Christian Ørsted's demonstration of the relationship between electricity and magnetism in 1819-1820.
In the 19th century, several inventions and discoveries accelerated the development of electricity. Michael Faraday invented the electric motor in 1821, and Georg Ohm mathematically analysed the electrical circuit in 1827. In 1831, Faraday also documented that an electric current could be produced in a wire moving near a magnet, demonstrating the principle of the generator. The first electrical generator was then invented by Faraday in 1831, although it was inefficient and impractical. The steam turbine, invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884, is still used to convert steam's thermal energy into mechanical energy for generators. In 1882, Thomas Edison opened the first power plant in New York City and installed the first electric streetlights in Roselle, New Jersey, marking a shift away from gas lighting.
In the 20th century, transistor technology emerged with the invention of the first working transistor, a germanium-based point-contact transistor, by John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain in 1947. This was followed by the bipolar junction transistor in 1948. In 1903, General Electric Co. (GE) received an offer from American inventor Charles Curtis for a different turbine, and by 1901, they had developed a 500-kW Curtis turbine generator. By the early 1900s, coal-fired power units had outputs ranging from 1 MW to 10 MW, and by the 1910s, these plants were further improved with the introduction of turbines with steam extractions for feedwater heating.
