History of Electrochemistry - Background and Dawn of Electrochemistry

Background and Dawn of Electrochemistry

The 16th century marked the beginning of scientific understanding of electricity and magnetism that culminated with the production of electric power and the industrial revolution in the late 19th century.

In the 1550s, English scientist William Gilbert spent 17 years experimenting with magnetism and, to a lesser extent, electricity. For his work on magnets, Gilbert became known as "The Father of Magnetism." His book De Magnete quickly became the standard work throughout Europe on electrical and magnetic phenomena. He made the first clear distinction between magnetism and what was then called the "amber effect" (static electricity).

In 1663, German physicist Otto von Guericke created the first electrostatic generator, which produced static electricity by applying friction. The generator was made of a large sulfur ball inside a glass globe, mounted on a shaft. The ball was rotated by means of a crank and a static electric spark was produced when a pad was rubbed against the ball as it rotated. The globe could be removed and used as an electrical source for experiments with electricity. Von Guericke used his generator to show that like charges repelled each other.