The Electrifying History of Electrical Terms

We use terms like "charge," "positive," and "battery" daily when discussing electricity, but where did these words originate, and what do they truly signify? Delve into the captivating history behind the electric vocabulary and illuminate the physics of electrical phenomena.

The Dawn of Electrical Observation

The story begins over 2,600 years ago with Thales of Miletus, an ancient Greek credited with the first observation of what we now recognize as electrical phenomena. He noticed that amber, when rubbed with fur, could attract small objects like straw. In Greek, amber was called "electron," marking the humble beginning of our electrical lexicon.

For millennia, this observation remained largely unchanged. It wasn't until around 2,200 years later that further investigations into amber's properties were undertaken.

Gilbert's "Electrics" and Browne's "Electricity"

In the 17th century, William Gilbert, an English scientist, expanded upon Thales's work. Through careful experimentation, Gilbert discovered that various materials possessed amber's attractive properties. He termed these materials "electrics," derived from the Greek word for amber.

About 40 years later, Sir Thomas Browne, an English physician and author, conducted similar experiments. While his findings mirrored Gilbert's, Browne's description of these experiments introduced a pivotal term. He proposed that rubbing a crystal with a cloth transformed it into an electric object. Drawing a parallel to elastic objects possessing elasticity, Browne suggested that electric objects possess electricity, thus coining the word we use ubiquitously today.

Du Fay's Discovery of Two Electricities

The 18th century saw further advancements, with French physicist Charles du Fay making a significant discovery. He found that nearly any object, excluding metals and fluids, could become electric through heating and rubbing. Moreover, he observed that when two electrics were placed near each other, they either attracted or repelled. This led Du Fay to propose the existence of two distinct groups of electrics: objects from the same group repelled each other, while objects from different groups attracted.

Franklin's Electrical Fluid and the Birth of Modern Terminology

While Du Fay's physics descriptions have faded into history, the vocabulary of Benjamin Franklin, a charismatic American, endures. Intrigued by the European research, Franklin embarked on his own experiments. He created electric devices capable of producing large sparks, often using them for playful pranks.

As Franklin refined his devices, he drew parallels between electrifying and de-electrifying objects and the charging and discharging of weaponry. This analogy led him to connect multiple devices, likening the grouping to cannons on a ship firing simultaneously – a battery. Thus, the electric battery was born, capable of discharging all at once and generating substantial sparks.

Franklin proposed the existence of an "electrical fluid" inherent in all things. Rubbing an object, like a glass tube, caused a flow of this fluid, or an electrical current, from one object to another. An object with an excess of this fluid was deemed positively charged, while one lacking it was negatively charged. When objects came into contact, the electrical fluid flowed between them until equilibrium was achieved. The greater the difference in fluid levels, the larger the spark produced.

Opposite Attract

This theory explains the well-known principle that opposite charges attract, while like charges repel.

The Electron's Revelation and Conventional Current

For 150 years, Franklin's theory served as the foundation for numerous discoveries and technological advancements. Eventually, scientists were able to examine the electric fluid more closely. In 1897, J.J. Thomson discovered that the electrical fluid comprised small particles called electrons, a term coined by physicist George Stoney, thus completing the circle back to the ancient Greek word for amber.

However, a twist emerged: electrons flowed in the opposite direction to what Franklin had theorized. Positively charged objects lacked electrons, rather than possessing an excess of electrical fluid. Despite this revelation, Franklin's vocabulary persisted. To reconcile the discrepancy, scientists retained Franklin's flow of electrical fluid but renamed it conventional current. This means that electrons, in a sense, swim upstream against the current.

This historical quirk can be confusing, but understanding the origins of our electrical vocabulary provides a clearer perspective on the physics of electrical phenomena.