Umair Gaines
Benjamin Franklin is often credited with discovering electricity through his famous kite experiment. However, the details of the experiment remain uncertain, and it is now believed that Franklin was not the first to prove that lightning is a form of electricity. In 1752, Franklin proposed an experiment to attract lightning to a Leyden jar, an early form of capacitor, but he was unable to conduct it himself due to a lack of suitable structures in Philadelphia. In May 1752, two French scientists, Thomas Dalibard and M. Delor, successfully performed variations of Franklin's experiment. Franklin then modified his approach and, with the assistance of his son William, conducted the kite experiment in June 1752. While the exact date is unclear, it is believed that Franklin flew a kite with a key attached during a thunderstorm, demonstrating the electrical nature of lightning and providing evidence for his single-substance theory of electricity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the kite experiment | June 1752 |
| Location of the kite experiment | Philadelphia |
| Purpose of the kite experiment | To demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning |
| Outcome of the kite experiment | Proved that lightning was a form of electricity |
| Key collaborators | Franklin's son, William |
| Other notable individuals involved | Thomas-François Dalibard, M. Delor, Joseph Priestley |
| Awards received | Copley Medal from the Royal Society |
| Year of award recognition | 1753 or 1754 |
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What You'll Learn
The kite experiment
Franklin's experiment involved flying a kite with a pointed conductive wire attached to its apex, near thunderclouds. The purpose was to collect static electricity from the air and conduct it down the wet kite string to the ground. Franklin realised the dangers of using conductive rods, so he used a wet hemp string attached to the kite instead. This allowed him to remain on the ground while his son flew the kite from the cover of a nearby shed.
The kite was made with a large silk handkerchief, with both hemp and silk strings attached. A house key was tied to the hemp string, which was then connected to a Leyden jar, and a silk string was attached to that. The Leyden jar was an early form of capacitor that could store electrical charges.
As the kite flew near the thunderclouds, it collected the ambient electrical charge from the storm. Franklin noticed that the loose threads of the kite string were repelling one another, indicating that the Leyden jar was being charged. He moved his hand near the key and observed an electric spark, proving the electric nature of lightning.
Contrary to popular belief, Franklin's kite was not directly struck by lightning. If it had been, he likely would have been electrocuted. Instead, the experiment successfully demonstrated that lightning and electricity were the result of the same phenomenon.
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Proving lightning is electricity
Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment in 1752 proved that lightning is a form of electricity. Franklin had been interested in electricity since 1744 when he attended a lecture by Adam Spencer in Boston. In 1748, he anonymously published a theory that lightning was a form of electricity. In 1750, he published instructions on how his theory could be proved.
In 1751 or 1752, Franklin got the idea that he could use a kite to test his theory. He proposed an experiment with conductive rods to attract lightning to a "Leyden jar", an early form of capacitor. However, there was no spire in Philadelphia that was high enough for him to try it out. In May 1752, Thomas-François Dalibard successfully carried out Franklin's experiment in northern France. In June 1752, Franklin decided to test his theory by flying a kite with a key attached to its string during a thunderstorm.
Franklin's son William assisted him in raising the kite. Franklin observed loose threads of the kite string repelling one another and deduced that the Leyden jar was being charged. He moved his hand near the key and observed an electric spark, proving the electric nature of lightning. In a letter to his friend Peter Collinson in October 1752, Franklin wrote:
> "As soon as any of the Thunder Clouds come over the Kite, the pointed Wire will draw the Electric Fire from them, and the Kite, with all the Twine, will be electrified, and the loose Filaments of the Twine will stand out every Way, and be attracted by an approaching Finger. And when the Rain has wet the Kite and Twine, so that it can conduct the Electric Fire freely, you will find it stream out plentifully from the Key on the Approach of your Knuckle. At this Key the Phial may be charg’d; and from Electric Fire thus obtain’d, Spirits may be kindled, and all the other Electric Experiments be perform’d, which are usually done by the Help of a rubbed Globe or Tube."
Franklin's kite experiment conclusively demonstrated that lightning was a form of electricity. It also offered further proof of his single-substance theory of electricity and showed that this fluid-like static energy could be passed from one object to another.
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Leyden jars
Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment in 1752 was an attempt to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. He used a Leyden jar, an early form of capacitor, to store the electrical charge.
A Leyden jar is an electrical component that stores a high-voltage electric charge between electrical conductors on the inside and outside of a glass jar. It is named after the University of Leiden, where it was first used for research. The jar was invented independently in the mid-18th century by Ewald Georg von Kleist in Germany and by Pieter van Musschenbroek in the Netherlands. The invention was also credited to van Musschenbroek's acquaintance, Andreas Cunaeus.
The Leyden jar was the first device that could acquire and store an electric charge until it was needed for an experiment or demonstration. It is made of a glass jar with metal foil cemented to the inside and outside surfaces and a metal terminal projecting vertically through the jar lid to make contact with the inner foil. The jar is charged by bringing the exposed end of a wire, which runs through a stopper in the jar, into contact with a friction device that produces static electricity. When the contact is broken, a charge can be demonstrated by touching the wire with the hand and receiving a shock.
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Conductivity
Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment in 1752 is a well-known event in the history of electricity. However, it is important to note that Franklin was not the first to prove that lightning is a form of electricity. In fact, in May 1752, a month before Franklin's famous experiment, French scientists Thomas-François Dalibard and M. Delor successfully conducted variations of Franklin's experiment in France, proving that lightning and electricity were indeed the same phenomenon.
Franklin's experiment was designed to investigate the electrical nature of lightning. He proposed using a lightning rod to attract lightning and capture its electrical charge in a "Leyden jar", an early form of capacitor. However, there was no suitable spire or tower in Philadelphia that was tall enough for this experiment. Franklin then came up with the idea of using a kite to raise the lightning rod to a sufficient height.
The kite used in the experiment was made of a large silk handkerchief tied across cedarwood crosspieces, with a tail and a sharp length of wire extending from its apex. The wire served as a conductive path for the lightning. During the experiment, Franklin kept himself and his son, who assisted him, safe by staying in a shed while flying the kite.
The key component of the experiment was the conductivity of the kite string. Franklin used a wet hemp string attached to the kite, which allowed him to remain on the ground while his son flew the kite from the shed. The hemp string provided the necessary conductivity, while the silk string attached to the kite and the silk handkerchief material remained dry, providing insulation. A house key was attached to the hemp string and connected to the Leyden jar, completing the circuit.
As the kite flew near thunderclouds, it collected static electricity from the air. The wet kite string conducted the electrical charge down to the key, where it was stored in the Leyden jar. Franklin observed an electric spark near the key, confirming the electrical nature of lightning. This experiment provided evidence for Franklin's single-substance theory of electricity and led to his invention of the pointed-tip lightning rod, which is still used today.
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Franklin's other electrical experiments
It is important to note that Benjamin Franklin did not discover electricity during his kite experiment or at any other time. Electrical forces had been recognised for more than a thousand years, and scientists had worked extensively with static electricity.
Franklin's kite experiment was first proposed in 1752, and its purpose was to investigate the nature of lightning and electricity, which were not yet fully understood. Franklin's experiment demonstrated that lightning and electricity were the result of the same phenomenon.
- Using the Leyden jar, a device that could store an electrical charge for later use, to "collect electric fire very copiously". This "electric fire", or electricity, could then be discharged at a later time.
- Drawing electricity from clouds and storing it in the Leyden Jar.
- Giving electrical shocks to the limbs of paralysed individuals. He placed Leyden Jars in their limbs, sending electric shocks. Although this was initially beneficial, most people relapsed after several days.
- Perfecting his lightning rod invention, which saved buildings from being struck by lightning.
Franklin's work with electricity led to him being recognised by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of London. He was presented with the prestigious Copley Medal and the Gold Medal of Sir Godfrey Copley.
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Frequently asked questions
Benjamin Franklin did not create electricity. In 1752, he conducted an experiment to prove that lightning was a form of electricity.
Franklin's experiment, also known as the kite experiment, involved flying a kite with a key attached to its string during a thunderstorm.
No, Franklin was not the first to discover that lightning is electricity. In 1752, a month before Franklin's kite experiment, Thomas-François Dalibard successfully proved the electrical nature of lightning in France.
The purpose of Franklin's kite experiment was to investigate the nature of lightning and electricity, which were not yet fully understood at the time.
