Benjamin Franklin's Experiments: Article Analysis

When the name Benjamin Franklin is stated, the first connection most people make is the invention of electricity. Presently, Benjamin Franklin is thought to have invented electricity, and this incorrect assumption is taught in schools across the nation. In reality, his experiments helped him discover how to harness the electricity from lightning, using the lightning rod. In December of 1763, Benjamin Franklin published his opinion on pointed bars in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. A pointed bar was used as a lighting rod, most commonly made of iron. The article was composed of his experiments that dealt with turning sand to iron. The first experiment in the article involved Franklin placing eight or nine ounces of sand …show more content…

In addition to this, both experiments used iron in one way or another. On the contrary, a major difference between the two articles is that they discuss and examine different experiments. In the first article the experiments that Franklin conducted are for the purpose of turning sand into iron. The second article is based off of the experiment that concluded that pointed rods positioned at high altitudes are able to capture lighting. Another difference is that Benjamin Franklin wrote the article that was published in 1763 and Franklin did not write the article published in 1773, it was simply written about his experiments. The understanding of science during the time of Benjamin Franklin was incredibly limited. Many people during this time questioned the scientific world and its discoveries. For example, when Franklin recommended the lighting rod, there was great controversy behind it. Many people believed that iron was not the best material to use to harness the power of lighting. It took many experiments and philosophers to confirm the findings before people began to accepted the notion that metal was the best