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On this day in history, June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin is reported to have flown a kite during a thunderstorm, with a goal of collecting ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar — a container that could store an electrical charge for later use.
This potentially would enable him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity.
Franklin showed an interest in the subject of electricity in the mid-1740s when much was still unknown on the topic. For almost a decade he conducted electrical experiments, notes History.com.
Franklin coined a number of terms still used today in this field, including battery, conductor and electrician, and he is known for other important inventions such as the lightning rod.
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On a June afternoon in 1752, rain reportedly began to fall from the skies of Philadelphia, and Franklin opted to fly a kite, according to The Franklin Institute of Philadelphia.
He reportedly used a simple kite made with a large silk handkerchief, a hemp string and a silk string. He also had a house key, a Leyden jar and a length of wire.
Franklin’s son, William, reportedly assisted him with the experiment.
A portrait of Benjamin Franklin by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis, the National Portrait Gallery, 1783. (Getty Images)
Despite a common misconception, Franklin did not discover electricity during this experiment — or at all, for that matter, according to Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute.
“Electrical forces had been recognized for more than a thousand years, and scientists had worked extensively with static electricity. Franklin’s experiment demonstrated the connection between lightning and electricity,” the institute notes.
“It’s a common myth that Franklin discovered electricity,” notes LiveScience.com.
“Electricity had already been discovered and used for centuries before Franklin’s experiment,” the site added.
During his time, electricity was understood…
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