Did Benjamin Franklin really fly a kite with a key?
Initially, Franklin planned on conducting his test from Christ Church steeple, still under construction. By the spring of 1752, though, the steeple remained unfinished. Franklin grew impatient and decided to proceed without it. In June, he and his son William flew a kite with a key tied to the string in a thunderstorm.
What did Benjamin Franklin prove about lightning with his kite experiment?
By conducting the kite experiment Franklin proved that lighting was an electrical discharge and realized that it can be charged over a conductor into the ground providing a safe alternative path and eliminating the risk of deadly fires.
Who did the kite lightning experiment?
Franklin’s kite experiment was performed in Philadelphia in June 1752, according to the account by Priestley. Franklin described the experiment in the Pennsylvania Gazette in October 19, 1752, without mentioning that he himself had performed it.
Did Benjamin Franklin Discover lightning?
On June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar, enabling him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity.
What actually causes lightning?
Lightning is an electrical discharge caused by imbalances between storm clouds and the ground, or within the clouds themselves. Most lightning occurs within the clouds. “Sheet lightning” describes a distant bolt that lights up an entire cloud base. Other visible bolts may appear as bead, ribbon, or rocket lightning.
How did Benjamin Franklin get the idea for the lightning rod?
By 1750, in addition to wanting to prove that lightning was electricity, Franklin began to think about protecting people, buildings, and other structures from lightning. This grew into his idea for the lightning rod. Franklin described an iron rod about 8 or 10 feet long that was sharpened to a point at the end.
How did Benjamin Franklin find electricity?
In 1752, Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment. In order to show that lightning was electricity, he flew a kite during a thunderstorm. He tied a metal key to the kite string to conduct the electricity.
Did Benjamin Franklin do the kite experiment?
Franklin’s experiment demonstrated the connection between lightning and electricity. To dispel another myth, Franklin’s kite was not struck by lightning. If it had been, he probably would have been electrocuted, experts say. Instead, the kite picked up the ambient electrical charge from the storm.
What did Benjamin Franklin use to discover electricity?