 |
| This is Franklin's invention to create and collect static electricity in Leyden jars. |
One
colonist that was seriously “into” fun tricks—and seriously
into science, too—was Benjamin Franklin. In 1749, disappointed that
he had not yet invented something electrical that was useful for
humankind, Franklin amused himself by having guests over for an
electrical turkey barbecue. According to APS Physics:
“He
killed a turkey by electrical shock, then roasted it using the
electrical jack, an electric device he invented that would rotate the
turkey as it roasted before a fire, which was kindled by an
electrified bottle. Guests drank from electrified glasses that gave
them a small shock as they sipped their wine, and were entertained as
sparks were sent across the river. Franklin also devised a game
called “treason,” which involved an electrified portrait of the
king, with a removable gilt crown. The picture was rigged so that
anyone who tried to remove the crown while holding the gilt edge of
the picture would be shocked.”
But
on this date in 1750, Franklin tried again to electrocute a turkey by
the shock from two large Leyden jars, instead he received the shock
himself! Others said that they heard a large crack and saw a huge
flash—but Franklin himself didn't see or hear anything, since he
was shocked senseless. When he came to, he was shaking, but gradually
his senses returned. He felt a bit of numbness at first, but that
went away, and soreness, too, but that went away as well.
We
Americans are lucky that Franklin did not kill himself in this
electrical mistake! Of course Franklin is well known for his
successful experiment flying a kite during an electrical storm—the
experiment that proved that lightning is electricity—and for
inventing the lightning rod.
Experiment
with static electricity!
Also
on this date:
No comments:
Post a Comment