Who Invented Electricity?

Electricity wasn’t truly invented by anyone. Electricity was discovered, and a number of different scientists realized that the world could harness and use the power behind it.

Thus, numerous names are responsible for the evolution of electricity to how it is used today. To understand how electricity evolved, we must examine each of the steps that brought us to how we use it today.

Thales of Miletus

Perhaps the first important individual for the history of electricity was Thales of Miletus. Thales of Miletus was from ancient Greece. He was the first individual to discover static electricity.

Static electricity is the buildup of electric charges on an object's surface. This buildup is either discharged to another object, or the buildup hemorrhages off to the ground.

In the sixth century B.C., Thales of Miletus realized that rubbing a fur with some other objects resulted in the objects being attracted to each other. He tested this realization with all other types of objects.

When he tested it with amber, he was even able to cause sparks to be seen and heard. Thus, Thales of Miletus was the first known instance of an individual discovering a type of electricity. In this case, it was static electricity.

He recorded his observations and discoveries; however, he incorrectly wrote that the static electricity was a type of magnetism which resulted from friction.

Cardano and William Gilbert

The next important discovery for the advancement of electricity occurred in the 1550s. Girolamo Cardano, an Italian physicist, began studying and observing electrical and magnetic forces. He specifically wrote about electricity in “De Subtillitate.” He was most likely the first individual that realized electrical forces and magnetic forces were, in fact, different.

After Cardano, Cardano’s assistant and follower, William Gilbert, continued his work. Gilbert expanded on the work and distinguished that amber had an electric effect, while lodestone had a magnetic effect.

He used the word “electricus” to describe what he was observing with the amber. He got this word because it was similar to the Greek word for amber which was “elektron.” The actual word “electricity” was not used until 1646.

Otto von Guericke

The next major breakthrough in the history of electricity occurred in 1660. Otto von Guericke created the first electrostatic generator. This creation of the electrostatic generator introduced to the science community that electricity was an important topic to study.

Using this invention, scientists were able to realize that electricity could travel across a vacuum without interference. Further, the invention also helped scientists realize that certain objects were conductors for electricity and certain objects or materials can act as insulators for electricity.

A conductor is a type of material that allows electricity to flow through it. An insulator is a type of material that does not allow electricity to flow through it. The invention also allowed scientists to realize that there are both positive types of electricity, and negative types of electricity.

Invention of the Capacitor

During the eighteenth century, the first capacitor was invented. A capacitor is a passive electronic component that uses a pair of conductors that are separated by an insulator.

Scientists also made the important discovery that static electricity could actually be transformed into an electrical current. Additionally, during this century, Benjamin Franklin made the connection between electricity and lightening.

Legend says that Franklin was able to show that lightning was, in fact, electrical by flying a kite during a thunderstorm. He tied a metal key to the kite. When lightning struck the kite, it transferred through the key proving that lightening was, in fact, a type of electricity.

Uses of Electricity

After Franklin, scientists began to realize that electricity could be used to make one’s life easier. Individuals such as Werner von Siemens and John Pender started the first electrical companies, and the purpose of these companies was the exploration of electricity.

The exploration into electricity truly began and individuals such as Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison created the induction motor and the light bulb, respectively. With the creation of the light bulb, the world was transformed.

Finally, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Edison, Westinghouse, and Tesla battled for public support for either direct current or alternate current. Both currents were ultimately used, but in different sectors.

Thus, the history of electricity is a fascinating and exciting field!