TED-ED: Electric vocabulary - James Sheils

The video explores the historical development of electric vocabulary, starting with Thales of Miletus and the term 'electron' for amber. It covers William Gilbert's experiments, Charles Dufay's discoveries, and Benjamin Franklin's innovations, including the concept of an electric battery. Franklin's theory of electrical fluid and charges influenced scientific inquiry for 150 years. The video concludes with the discovery of electrons by J.J. Thompson, highlighting the evolution of understanding in electricity.

Who is credited with the first observation of electrical phenomena?

• William Gilbert

• Charles Dufay

• Thales of Miletus

• Benjamin Franklin

What did Charles Dufay discover about electrics?

• They can only attract objects

• They can be electrified by heating and rubbing

• They are always positively charged

• They are only found in metals

How did Benjamin Franklin describe the process of electrifying and de-electrifying?

• As charging and discharging weaponry

• As a scientific mystery

• As a playful experiment

• As a natural phenomenon

What did Franklin propose about the electrical fluid?

• It cannot flow between objects

• It is common to all things

• It is unique to each object

• It is only found in metals

What was discovered about the flow of electrons in 1897?

• They flow in the opposite direction to Franklin's theory

• They flow only in metals

• They do not flow at all

• They flow in the same direction as Franklin proposed

What term is used to describe the flow of electrical fluid according to Franklin's vocabulary?

• Actual current

• Static current

• Reverse current

• Conventional current

Why did people retain Franklin's vocabulary despite the discovery of electrons?

• It was mandated by law

• It was a matter of habit and convention

• It was easier to understand

• It was scientifically accurate