History & Fundamentals of Electricity Unit 1 & 2

Study Notes

History of Electricity

Thales of Miletus (around 600 BCE) was a Greek mathematician recognized for his work with static electricity.
William Gilbert (around 1600) coined the term "electricity," deriving it from "electricus" meaning "of amber."
Otto von Guericke built the first electric generator producing static electricity.

Early Contributions to Electricity

Stephen Gray (1729) discovered that electricity can flow, distinguishing between conductors and nonconductors.
Edward George von Kleist and Pieter van Musschenbroek invented the Leyden jar in 1746, the first device to store static electricity.
Luigi Galvani (1786) proposed that electricity is released when frog's legs touched a current-carrying wire.

Significant Inventors and their Inventions

Alessandro Volta created the electric battery in the early 1800s, developing the Voltaic pile.
Hans Christian Ørsted (1820) discovered magnetic fields are influenced by electric currents.
André-Marie Ampère observed that a coil of wire behaves like a magnet when an electric current flows through it (1820).

Key Theorists and Practical Innovators

Georg Simon Ohm formulated Ohm's Law in 1826, establishing a relationship between current, voltage, and resistance.
Michael Faraday created the first crude electric motor and generator (1831) based on electromagnetism.
Samuel Morse developed the idea of sending coded messages over wires using the electromagnetic telegraph.

Later Developments

Charles de Coulomb was the first to measure electricity and magnetism relationships.
Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan developed practical electric light bulbs independently in 1879, influencing later developments in electric lighting.

Description

Explore the history and fundamental concepts of electricity through this quiz. Delve into the contributions of key inventors, fundamental electrical engineering principles, and specific terminologies. Perfect for those studying the basics of electrical engineering!