MILESTONES IN ELECTRICITY

Electricity is an invisible force that now overpowers the modern world of advancements. Nothing will go on without the involvement of electricity and if any hurdle happens in its flow, it can make a wholesome pause to every aspect of the world, even the human work could get delayed. The support rendered by electricity improved man's lifestyle through countless inventions and innovations. Let’s get aware of the major Milestones in Electricity -

1. Lightning rod

2. Electric motor

3. Fuel cell

4. Transformer

5. Transistor

1. Lightning Rod

Lightning rod invented by Benjamin Franklin is a metal rod mounted on the top of elevated structures like trees or buildings and it is connected with the earth through an electrode. It aims to protect the people and buildings from the danger of natural phenomena. When lightning strikes, it will strike the rod and the electric power will conduct through the wire instead of affecting the building or tree. Historians claim that this idea already prevailed during ancient times in Srilanka, but it was Franklin who came up with this idea during the modern ages.

2. Electric Motor

 An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy based on electromagnetism and it was invented by a Scottish monk, Andrew Gordon which was a simple electrostatic device. A century later, Michael Faraday explained its working and thus paved the way for the later advanced inventions. Then, Peter Barlow invented the first device to be powered by electromagnetism that is, Barlow’s Wheel. Thus the invention of machines that can run on direct current, real rotating electric motor, constant speed electric motor, etc. together contributed to the advancement of electric technology in the world.

3. Fuel Cell

The fuel cell generates electric currents through chemical reactions and mainly uses the chemical energy of hydrogen for this purpose. The first successful fuel cell was developed by Francis Bacon using hydrogen, oxygen, an alkaline electrolyte, and nickel electrode. Due to its high efficiency, lower emissions, and silent operation, fuel cells are widely used in transportation, emergency power backup, material handling, etc. As the only by-products of it are electricity, heat, and water, fuel cells are clean and do not produce any dangerous chemical substances like carbon dioxide.

4. Transformer

The first known transformer was designed in the 1880s due to the limitless efforts of Otto Blathy, Miksa Deri, and Karoly Zipernow. But, the first reliable commercial transformer was invented by William Stanley. The transformer is an electric device that transfers electrical energy between two or more circuits through electromagnetic induction. By then, they are used to convert high voltage electricity from incoming power lines to lower voltages. Thus, the transformer has played a crucial role in the transmission of power.

5. Transistor

The transistor is an electronic component that can perform two functions according to the need- as an amplifier or as a switch. Being an amplifier, it acts as a current booster as it produces a bigger output current by taking in a tiny input current. It was the strenuous efforts of William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain that paved the way for the invention of transistors as the significant breakthrough in the electrical world. They were also awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

The breakthroughs and milestones in electricity are innumerable in which this article presents the initial steps of advancements.