Preview

Benjamin Franklin Research Paper

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1196 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Benjamin Franklin Research Paper
How could the inventions of one man change the whole world? The person would have to create many inventions that modernized and changed the world in many different ways. Benjamin Franklin was one such man. He created many different inventions that helped the world change in a positive way. Because of his interest in science, Franklin created inventions that have changed society in a favorable manor. One of Franklin’s most used inventions is the lightning rod. Franklin studied electricity in a small laboratory. He assumed lightning was electricity he but wanted to prove it. “On a stormy night in 1752, he conducted a life threatening experiment to demonstrate that lightning is the result of electrical buildup. He constructed a kite that carried a metal spike and flew it into the thunderstorm” (Bhunoo 201). Franklin reeled his kite back in to study it. He was trying to get the lightning to strike the key and see if his theory was correct. “Franklin noticed that it sparked as he brought his knuckles close to it” (Bhunoo 201). As the lightning sparked he understood that it was electricity. Even though some people credit Franklin with the invention of electricity, electricity was in existence long before he was born. Franklin invented an iron rod to conduct the lightning. He noticed that the highest piece of metal around was hit by lightning, so Franklin devised a plan to place the rod next to buildings and run it into the ground, causing the electricity to hit the ground and be absorbed. This protected buildings from lightning damage. Franklin later realized that a sharp rod worked better than a blunt rod, because the tip was a little higher than the rest and the shock hit the tip first. Ben Franklin spent some of his time in London and while, he was there he attended a Richard Puckridge concert. Puckridge played the armonica, or singing glasses. Franklin loved the sound as he first heard it, but he decided to make a few changes. First, he removed the stems


Cited: Bhunoo, Riaz. “Lightning Rod.” 1001 Inventions that Changed the World 2009. Team 22254. “Inventor.” Thinkquest. 8 Aug. 1999. 13 Apr. 2010. . Chapman, Andrew.“Franklin Stove (Circulating Fire Place).” 1001 Inventions that Changed the World 2009.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Franklin had been wise enough to connect a ground wire to his key... two other scientists attempting to copy the experiment but neglecting the ground wire they were killed when they were actually struck by lightning. He was also self educated so think how scared he was.…

    • 184 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benjamin Franklin was born January 17, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is known for inventing things such as the bifocals, the Franklin Stove, the glass harmonica, and the lightning rod. In 1732, he published Poor Richard’s Almanac. Ben also helped write and review the Declaration of Independence. He helped work out the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary war. In 1746, Ben found work from other scientists on their electrical experiments. While he was doing an experiment, he shocked himself. He wrote in one of his letters, "...a universal blow throughout my whole body from head to foot, which seemed within as well as without; after which the first thing I took notice of was a violent quick shaking of my body..." During the summer…

    • 331 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This invention was extremely helpful to many citizens, because it diverted the electricity of lightning into the ground away from houses or buildings. The lightning rod was an inexpensive way to keep buildings safer. This invention began after Franklin accidentally shocked himself in 1746, this fascinating experience was his motivation to invent the lightning rod (“Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions”). Another one of Franklin’s successful inventions were bifocals. Bifocals are glasses with two different focal lengths.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Any one of Franklin's many accomplishments would have been enough to make him famous. He organized the first library in America. He invented many things, including the lightning rod. Franklin amazed scientists throughout the world with his experiments in electricity.…

    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Have you ever asked yourself, exactly what is DNA and why is it so important? DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid and is found in every living thing. We inherit DNA from our parents, half from our mothers and half from our fathers. DNA is made up of sugars, bases, and phosphates and comes in the structure of a double helix which looks like a spiral staircase (Craig Freudenrich, 2007). DNA is found in the genes which are housed in chromosomes. Humans have 46 chromosomes; however, the amount of chromosomes varies from specie to specie. Except in the case of identical twins, DNA is unique…

    • 3692 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benjamin learned to read very early. He spent one year in a grammar school and another with a private teacher and ended his formal education at the age of ten. On his spare time he also liked swimming and he became an expert swimmer.On of his first inventions was a set of paddle that increased his swimming speed. At the age of 12 Benjamin was apprenticed to his brother james, a printer.…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The interviews I have chosen for this assignment is the Julian Bond and John Hope Franklin interview. I find it interesting that both men are drawn to Thomas Jefferson because of the actions he had done during the period of the Revolution. With Thomas Jefferson being label as a Renaissance man by John Hope Franklin and an agronomist and an avid bibliophile. I am fascinated on how John Hope Franklin expressed why he was drawn to Thomas Jefferson, he stated that it was because he declared that he was the author of the Declaration of Independence, the author of Virginia Statute of Religious Liberties, and the founding father of the University of Virginia. It has dawned to me that Julian Bond had also expressed that Thomas Jefferson's intellect was far ranged and that made him one of the fascinating…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As a child, Benjamin Franklin was fascinated about lighting. Many years later, he had a theory. He believed that lightning could be a powerful source of energy. To test his theory, he flew his kite with a key attached to it hoping to harness the power of electricity. His theory was proven, and that is why electricity exists today.…

    • 331 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benjamin Franklin was an amazing man. is one who wielded his knowledge to shape America. Ben formed the greatest inventions in the history of America. For he is, and will always be, an inspiration toward me. Franklin united places at war.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    His most significant discoveries, however, were in the field of electricity. His famous kite experiment proved that lightning is an electrical phenomenon. In 1774 he invented a cast-iron open heater, which projected out from the chimney and radiated heat from the back and from the sides as well as the front (126).…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Brands, H.W. The Frist American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Broadway Doubleday, 2000.…

    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Over the time between early presidential years; Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president who studied law. Benjamin was the grandson of one of the president name William Harrison who served as the 9th president. Benjamin wanted to accomplish many thing as a president he passed an act called the Sherman Antitrust Act which allowed people to pay how much as they wanted for goods (food or basic clothing).Also, in the paper i'm going to talking about the hull house, The election of 1888, Jane Addams (co founder of the hull house) and the Sherman Antitrust act.…

    • 1856 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Franklin's experiments were about creating static electricity. He observed that almost all the experiments used static electricity and was pretty successful. Like in this experiment "A person standing on wax and rubbing the tube; and another person on wax drawing the fire, they will both of them (provided they do not stand so as to touch one another) appear to be electrised to a person standing on the floor; that is, he will perceive a spark on approaching each of them." That is a successful experiment because it had a spark . But in in experiment two it says that neither of them will appear to be electrised so it was not successful because nothing happens. In 3 out of 4 experiments he found electricity and they were successful. So therefore…

    • 143 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Another one of Benjamin's inventions was paper money. If you notice, Benjamin Franklin, today, is on the $100 bill. Back then, there was no such thing as paper money. They had silver and gold coins used as their currency. It was a real problem for them because they would carry big, heavy coins all day in their pockets. "Benjamin Franklin believed in paper currency" because "he noticed the advantages of paper money while living in London" (Vleet 45). Although Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor, he was also a man with great ideas to change the…

    • 2011 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benjamin Franklin was known for many things. Most people know him from his famous kite flying experiment, but he was mostly famous for helping writing the draft for the Declaration of Independence. Ben was also known for being a printer, writer, scientist, inventor,statesman, civic leader, and diplomat.(America’s Library) By the end of his life he was elected for governor of Pennsylvania and lived a happy life.(Great Life of Benjamin Franklin)…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics