What is Benjamin Franklin’s Biggest Contribution? By EZ Njoku & Isaac Awosika

 Benjamin franklin was born January 17, 1706  He was born in a family of ten was the eighth child of Josiah and Abiah Franklin.  He grew up and had many professions. He was an author and editor, a scientist, an ambassador, an inventor, a politician and an elder salesman. Background of Ben Franklin

 Franklin performed a test to prove that lightning and electricity are the same. He tied a kite to a silk string and attached a key to the end.  Next, he tied a thin metal wire to the key and attached the other end of the Leyden jar. He also tied a silk ribbon so that he could hold it without getting shocked  He hid under a barn and flew the kite into the sky as it was storming. When a thunder cloud passed the kite, negative charges entered from the kite to the key and then to the Leyden Jar.  Franklin didn’t receive a static shock because he was holding the dry silk ribbon, but when he moved his free hand to the key, he felt a shock. Therefore he proved his hypothesis. Experiment With Kite

 As an inventor, he made many inventions, electric- based or not. He only made a few inventions that are electric-based. He made or used the following:  Battery (Leyden jars)  Lightning rod Ben Franklin’s Inventions Of Electricity

 Ben Franklin did not invent the Leyden jar but he used one before with his kite experiment.  Franklin was the one to make a “battery” (using the military term for weapons working together).  By combining the number of jars, a stronger charge could be stored, and more power would be available. “Electrical Battery” of Leyden Jars

 The lightning rod was one of the most credited electric-based invention of his time.  It was designed to be on top of buildings and houses. If lightning had stroked down on these buildings, the rod would attract it  From there, the lightning would travel from the rod to the ground.  This invention kept people safe as well as buildings and other structures. Lightning Rod

 Franklin had made terms involving electricity during his studies on it. He made about forty terms. Some of the words are the following:  Battery-a group of electric cells for providing electric current; a single electric cell  Condenser-a device providing capacitance; see capacitance  Conductor-any material that allows electricity to pass through  Charge-an excess or deficiency of electrons in an atom  Discharge-to remove the electrical energy from something Terms (words) About Electricity

 Franklin’s experiments and inventions benefits us today because without his experiments there could not have being a foundation for other inventors that helped people to use electricity in our everyday lives.  Without electricity there would never be phones, laptops, tablets, TVs and other electronic devices.  Our current lives would be similar to the lives of people in the 18th century  Franklin discover and inventions on electricity has helped us to evolve into the society of today Effect on the American Society

Primary Sources  Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin  Sparks, Jared. Life of Benjamin Franklin: A Continuation of Franklin’s Autobiography Secondary Sources  “Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions, Discoveries, and Improvements” 4 July November  “Electrified Ben” creation date unidentified. November  “Benjamin Franklin and Electricity” creation date unidentified. November  “Ben’s Big Idea” November  “Benjamin Franklin. Biography” creation date unidentified. December  “ ‘Electrical battery’ of Leyden jars, ” Bibliography