Benjamin Franklin conducted experiments with electricity in the 1700s using simple apparatus. Through his experiments, he developed the concepts of positive and negative charges and proposed demonstrating the connection between lightning and electricity by flying a kite during a storm. In 1752, Franklin performed his famous kite experiment during a storm and was able to draw sparks from a key attached to the kite string, providing evidence that lightning is a form of electricity. Franklin's experiments made him famous and helped establish the field of electrostatics.

1. ELECTROSTATICS
For sometime, ancient men
considered lightning to be a weapon
of the gods. The ancient Greeks
feared the god of all gods, Zeus, and

2. ELECTROSTATICS…
In 1747 Franklin began his experiments in
electricity with a simple apparatus that he
received from a friend in England. His
experiments involved capturing electrical
charge, and he came up with the notion of
positive and negative electrical charges.
Although he was not the first to suggest the
connection between lightning and electricity,
he proposed an effective method of
demonstrating this link.

3. ELECTROSTATICS…
His proposal to erect an iron rod on a high
tower or steeple and draw electricity from a
storm was published in London and carried out
in England and France before he performed
his celebrated but dangerous experiment with
a kite in 1752. While clouds rolled by the
airborne kite, electricity presumably traveled
down the kite string to a metal key attached at
the end, and a wire drew sparks from the key.

4. ELECTROSTATICS…
Some doubt remains about whether Franklin
actually performed the kite experiment,
because he failed to mention it for some time.
The European demonstrations, however,
made Franklin famous. Franklin also published
instructions on how to protect houses with
lightning rods.

5. ELECTROSTATICS…
Benjamin Franklin and his famous
Kite Experiment on Electricity.

6. ELECTROSTATICS…
How do lightning occur…?

7. ELECTROSTATICS…
Lightning is considered as a static electricity.
Electricity began with man’s curiosity on the
peculiar ability of amber and loadstone to attract
other materials. Loadstone is known today as
magnetized iron core. Amber is a translucent
yellowish-brown fossil resin.
Thales of Miletus – 1st
recorded investigator of
ability of amber.
Electrics – comes from the Greek word elektron
meaning “amber”.

8. ELECTROSTATICS…
Electrostatics is the study of all phenomena
associated with charged bodies at rest.
Static electricity has always been a part
of our daily experience, although we
are not aware of it. We feel a very mild
electric shock when we walk across a
carpet and reach out for the knob or
any metallic object. We see the so-
called “fly away hair effect” when we
comb our hair several times. This comb
may even attract small pieces of paper.

9. ELECTROSTATICS…
The modern theory of electric charges
is the electron theory. It explains the
existence of charges by the structure of
an atom. An atom is made up of
positively charged nucleus surrounded
by negatively charged electrons. The
nucleus contains the positively charged
protons and uncharged neutrons.
Bodies that provide electricity are known
to be charged. Charges are classified
into positive and negative charges.

10. ELECTROSTATICS…
The modern theory of electric charges
is the electron theory. It explains the
existence of charges by the structure of
an atom. An atom is made up of
positively charged nucleus surrounded
by negatively charged electrons. The
nucleus contains the positively charged
protons and uncharged neutrons.
Bodies that provide electricity are known
to be charged. Charges are classified
into positive and negative charges.