Electricity: what year did it appear and who invented it, the history of the discovery of direct and alternating current

Electricity plays a huge role in the life of a modern person. Until now, many do not understand how people once lived without electric current. There is light in our houses, all household appliances, from the telephone to the computer, are powered by electrical voltage. Who invented electricity and in what year it happened, not everyone knows. At the same time, this discovery marked the beginning of a new period in the history of mankind.

Towards the advent of electricity

The ancient Greek philosopher Thales, who lived in the 7th century BC, found that if you rub amber on wool, small objects will begin to be attracted to the stone. Only many years later, in 1600, English physicist William Gilbert coined the term "electricity". From that moment, scientists began to pay attention to him and conduct research in this area. In 1729 Stephen Gray proved that electricity can be transmitted over a distance. An important step was taken after the French scientist Charles Dufay discovered, as he believed, the existence of two types of electricity: resin and glass.

The first to try to explain what electricity is was Benjamin Franklin, whose portrait is now adorned with a hundred dollar bill. He believed that all substances in nature had a "special liquid". In 1785, Coulomb's law was discovered. In 1791, the Italian scientist Galvani studied muscle contractions in animals. He found out, conducting experiments on a frog, that muscles are constantly excited by the brain and transmit nerve impulses.

A huge step towards the study of electricity was taken in 1800 by an Italian physicist Alessandrome Volta, who invented and invented a galvanic cell - a constant current source. In 1831, Englishman Michael Faraday invented an electric generator that worked on the basis of electromagnetic induction.

The outstanding scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla made a huge contribution to the development of electricity. He created devices that are still used in everyday life. One of his most famous works is the AC motor, on the basis of which the alternator was created. He also carried out work in the field of magnetic fields. They made it possible to use alternating current in electric motors.

Another scientist who contributed to the development of electricity was Georg Ohm, who experimentally deduced the law of the electric circuit. Another prominent scientist was André-Marie Ampere. He invented the amplifier design, which was a coil with turns.

Also, an important role in the invention of electricity was played by:

• Pierre Curie.
• Ernest Rutherford.
• D. TO. Maxwell.
• Heinrich Rudolf Hertz.

First use of electricity

In the 1870s Russian scientist A. N. Lodygin invented an incandescent lamp. He, having previously evacuated air from the vessel, made the carbon rod glow. A little later, he proposed replacing the carbon rod with a tungsten one. However, another scientist, the American Thomas Edison, was able to launch the light bulb into mass production. At first, he used charred shavings obtained from Chinese bamboo as a thread in a lamp. His model turned out to be inexpensive, of high quality and could serve for a relatively long time. Much later, Edison replaced the thread with tungsten.

Nobody knows in what year electricity was invented, but since the 19th century it has actively entered human life. At first it was just lighting, then the electric current began to be used for other spheres of life (transport, means of transmitting information, household appliances).

Lighting use in Russia

Trying to find out in what year electricity appeared in Russia, scientists are inclined to believe what happened in 1879. It was then that the Liteiny Bridge in St. Petersburg was illuminated. On January 30, 1880, an electrotechnical department was created in the Russian Technical Society. This society was engaged in the development of electricity in the Russian Empire. In 1883, a landmark event in the history of electricity took place - the Kremlin was illuminated when Alexander III came to power. By his decree, a special society was formed, which was developing a master plan for the electrification of St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Alternating and direct current

When electricity was discovered, a dispute arose between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla about which current to use as the main current, alternating or direct. The confrontation between scientists has even been nicknamed the "War of currents". In this fight, alternating current wonsince he:

• easily transmitted over long distances;
• does not bear huge losses, being transmitted at a distance.

Main areas of consumption

In everyday life direct current is used quite often. Various household appliances, generators and chargers work from it. In industry, it is used in batteries and motors. In some countries, power lines are equipped with it.

Alternating current is capable of changing in direction and magnitude over a period of time. It is used more often permanently. In our homes, its source is sockets, various household appliances at different voltages are connected to them. Alternating current is often used in industry and street lighting.

Electricity in life and nature

Now electricity comes to our houses thanks to power plants. They are equipped with special generators that operate from an energy source. Basically, this energy is thermal, which is obtained by heating water. Oil, gas, nuclear fuel or coal are used to heat water. The steam generated when the water is heated drives the huge turbine blades, which in turn start the generator. As a power supply for the generator, you can use the energy of water falling from a height (from waterfalls or dams). Less commonly, wind power or solar energy is used.

The generator then uses a magnet to create a flow of electrical charges through the copper wires. In order to transmit current over long distances, the voltage must be increased. A transformer is used for this role, which boosts and lowers the voltage. Then electricity with high power is transmitted through cables to the place of its use. But before entering the house, it is necessary to lower the voltage using another transformer. It is now ready to use.

When the conversation starts about electricity in nature, lightning is the first to come to mind, but this is far from the only source of it. Even our bodies with you have an electric charge, it exists in human tissues and transmits nerve impulses throughout the body. But not only man contains electric current. Many inhabitants of the underwater world are also capable of generating electricity, for example, a stingray contains a charge of 500 watts, and an eel can create a voltage of up to 0.5 kilovolts.