Week 1 Electrostatics A brief history of the science of electric forces Mystery of the Physical World Thales of Miletus 624 546 BC considered the first philosopher in the history of Western Civilization Thales observed that when amber is rubbed with animal fur it exerts weak forces e g attracts small bits of straw or feathers William Gilbert 1544 1603 Scientist and physician Queen Elizabeth was one of his patients Gilbert showed that many other material besides amber acquire the ability to exert forces when rubbed with another material He coined the word electricity from the greek word for amber hlektron for this phenomenon Franklin began as an amateur in electricity but became a famous scientist His important theoretical idea the one fluid model that electricity is carried by a single fluid and an object can be positive excess of fluid or negative deficit of fluid Conservation of charge His famous kite Benjamin Franklin 1706 1790 Coulomb s torsion balance harles Augustin de Coulomb 736 1806 The discovery of the electron J J Thomson 1897 Thomson The cathode ray is a beam of identical particles electrons
View Full Document
Unlocking...