National Electricity Day

National Electricity Day commemorates the day in 1752 when Benjamin Franklin performed his famous experiment in which he flew a kite equipped with some string, silk, and a key to prove that lightning is caused by electrical discharges.

History of National Electricity Day

National Electric Power Day occurs on the anniversary of 1752 when Benjamin Franklin kited during a thunderstorm; with the aim of demonstrating that lightning is caused by electrical discharges (some sources say he flew a kite on June 10th). His experiments led to a deeper understanding of positive and negative charges, demonstrated that lightning was an electrical discharge, and the invention of the lightning rod that provided a safe way to discharge and a way to prevent electrical discharges fire prevention. Lightning rods are still used to protect buildings, ships and people from lightning.

Franklin began his experiments with electricity in 1747 and began to hypothesize a connection between electricity and lightning two years later. He set out to prove his hypothesis; His idea was to build iron rods into storm clouds to draw electricity. He believes he will need to be aloft for his experiment to work, but he is in Philadelphia, a fairly flat city. At first, he was waiting for the steeple to be completed at Christ Church, believing he could use it for his experiments.

Franklin wrote about his iron rod idea to Peter Collinson, a member of the Royal Society of London, but the group didn't see the significance of the idea. Soon, however, his idea caught the attention of French scientists Delor and Dalibard. Shortly before Franklin did the experiment himself, unbeknownst to them, they had successfully completed his iron rod experiment and called it the "Philadelphia experiment."

Franklin decided to test his theory by flying a kite instead of waiting for the steeple to be completed on the church. Together with his son William, he built a cedar kite and a silk handkerchief and attached a wire leg to its head to act as a conductor. At the bottom of the kite, he attached a string, and at the point where the string was held, he placed a silk ribbon and a metal key. A metal wire is connected to the key and goes to a Leyden jar.

When Franklin flew a kite during a lightning storm, he kept himself dry by standing in the barn. The kite is not hit, but the conductor carries a negative charge. They passed the kite, the string, the key and reached the Leyden jar. This shows that a conductor can be used to conduct current to earth. At one point, he put his hand close to the key and was shocked because of the positive charge in his body. Franklin was later credited with coining many terms related to electricity.

How to celebrate National Electricity Day

It is the most interesting opportunity to celebrate National Electricity Day with electricity, kites and Benjamin Franklin. You can visit the Electrical Museum or the Spark Electrical Invention Museum. You can do some easy electrical experiments. You can fly a kite. You can visit the grave of Benjamin Franklin, which very incidentally is located in the Church of Christ Cemetery. While there, you can look up at the steeple that Franklin once waited to build before deciding to use a kite for his experiments. You can also visit the nearby Benjamin Franklin Museum.

It's probably best not to test Franklin's experiment at home, but his own description of what he did was published in the Pennsylvania Gazette on October 19th, 1752, and you can read it here:

Do you know how to make a Small Cross of two Light Cedar Bands, Arms reaching to the four Corners of a large Thin Silk Handkerchief when stretched? Of course, then tie the Corners of Handkerchief to the Pole of the Cross, so you have a body of a Kite; adapted to its Tail, Loop and String, would soar in the Air, like wings made of Paper; but this essence of Silk could withstand Wet Wind and Wind of Storms. Thunder without tearing The end of the Vertical Cross must be fixed with a String with a very sharp point, one Foot or higher than the Wood At the end of the Rope, followed by the Hand, tied with a Silk Ribbon, and where the Rope and silk connection, a Key can be fastened. This kite will be raised when Thunder appears and the Chain Holder must stand in a Door, or Window, or under some number. Cover, so that the Silk cannot get wet; and care must be taken that the Silk Thread does not touch the Frame of the Door or Window. As soon as any Thunderclouds have passed over the Kite, the Spike will absorb Fire electricity from them and the Kite, along with all the Strings, will be electrified, and the loose strands of the Rope will stand out in every way, and be attracted to an approaching Finger. And when the Rain wets the Kite and the Rope, so that it can conduct the Electric Fire freely, you will see it gushing abundantly from the Key on your Knuckle Approach. At this Key, Phial can get scaled; and from the resulting Electric Fire, Spirits may be created, and all other Electrical Experiments will be performed, usually performed by the Aid of an Orb or a Rubbed Glass Tube; and thus the similarity of Electrical Matter to the Matter of Lightning has been fully demonstrated."