Centuries passed and many more men wondered as Thales had wondered about magnetism. It happened in the year 1600 in London, England, where Sir William Gilbert served as physician to Queen Elizabeth I. Gilbert was a respected member of the Queen’s court and a brilliant man. He had published everything in a book called De Magnete what he had discovered about magnetism. It was the result of several years of thinking and experimenting. He was fascinated by magnetism and was determined to learn more about it. He discovered that there were other substances besides amber, such as sulphur, glass and sealing wax that would attract small particles when they were rubbed. He also discovered that certain materials showed no attraction whatever; no matter how much they were rubbed. He coined a new word in his book. He called the mysterious attraction electricity, which he got from Elektra, the Greek word for amber.
In De Magnete Gilbert carefully classified all the materials that were the subjects of his experiments. He listed the things he tried and pointed out the ones that showed attraction and the ones that did not. He also pointed out the subjects that exerted a greater degree of attraction than others. To classify things more accurately, he invented a machine that he called an electroscope. It was a simple device, consisting of little more than a straw that was balanced so that it could swing freely. Gilbert rubbed an object and placed it in machine. Then he watched the straw to see if it would be attracted or not to the objects. Gilbert kept careful notes, and accounts of all these experiments were contained in his book.
Gilbert never learned what caused the strange attraction. But his careful observations and the records of his experiments served as a basis for some of the great discoveries in electricity that was to follow. Little he did know as he turned the pages of the volume that his work would create great controversy. He was later called the “Father of Electricity”. That mysterious force now had a name. Many scientists were not eager to accept new ideas. They were satisfied with the explanations of the wonders of nature that had been handed down from ancient Greece. However, some scientists believed and were impressed with Gilbert’s scientific approach. They were interested in his findings and were eager to learn more about the new force called Electricity.
In De Magnete Gilbert carefully classified all the materials that were the subjects of his experiments. He listed the things he tried and pointed out the ones that showed attraction and the ones that did not. He also pointed out the subjects that exerted a greater degree of attraction than others. To classify things more accurately, he invented a machine that he called an electroscope. It was a simple device, consisting of little more than a straw that was balanced so that it could swing freely. Gilbert rubbed an object and placed it in machine. Then he watched the straw to see if it would be attracted or not to the objects. Gilbert kept careful notes, and accounts of all these experiments were contained in his book.
Gilbert never learned what caused the strange attraction. But his careful observations and the records of his experiments served as a basis for some of the great discoveries in electricity that was to follow. Little he did know as he turned the pages of the volume that his work would create great controversy. He was later called the “Father of Electricity”. That mysterious force now had a name. Many scientists were not eager to accept new ideas. They were satisfied with the explanations of the wonders of nature that had been handed down from ancient Greece. However, some scientists believed and were impressed with Gilbert’s scientific approach. They were interested in his findings and were eager to learn more about the new force called Electricity.
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