Monday / 18 December 2023

The electrical nature of matter was discovered by the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus around 600 BC

The electrical nature of matter was discovered by the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus around 600 BC. He observed that rubbing amber with certain materials attracted lightweight objects. This marked the initial steps in exploring electricity. However, it wasn't until the 16th century that William Gilbert, an English physician, identified various substances, which he called "Electrics," that displayed similar properties to amber. He also invented the Versorio, an instrument used for detecting electrical charge.

In the 18th century, Charles de Fay, a French scientist, discovered two types of behavior exhibited by materials when rubbed. He categorized them into those behaving like amber and those resembling glass when rubbed with silk. He also noted that two pieces of electrified amber repelled each other, as did two pieces of electrically charged glass, however, when one piece of each kind was brought near each other, they were attracted. This led him to believe that there exist two types of electricity.

Benjamin Franklin, in the same century, conducted investigations into electrical phenomena. He proposed that electricity behaves like a fluid and is capable of transferring from one object to another through friction, with electricity moving to an object being termed "positive" and losing it being termed "negative" electricity.

Alessandro Volta's invented the electric battery in 1780. Volta discovered that conductive metals such as copper and iron were necessary for producing electricity since upon contact with an electrified object, the electricity is transferred to all of their areas. This resulted in the development of electrical wires, they were initially crafted from thick copper plates but eventually evolved into the wires used today.

The creation of the electric battery in the mid-19th century led to pioneers like Alva Edison and Samuel Morse inventing devices that relied on electricity, such as lamps and the telegraph. This interest in electrical applications led to the replacement of traditional sources of illumination like candles and oil lamps in homes and the streets.

The electrical inventions and the new applications based on electricity in the 20th century created the electrical revolution. The electric cables enabled the distribution of electricity from power plants to where it was needed, improving the prosperity of the people. This led to the emergence of the energy sector as a vital part of the economy.