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Battery History: the Origin of the Name [CC]
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Date: 2022-12-27
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Comments and reviews: 20
spikedpsycho
The first person using the word battery to describe an electrical device was Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790. At the time, people already knew that friction between leather (or paper) and glass produced an electric charge but they didnt know how to store the charge, that is until 1745, some European scientists invented a device called Leyden jar which could gather an electrical charge and store it until it is discharged. People who touched a charged Leyden jar felt a shock of such violence that my whole body was shaken as by a lightning stroke.
#Benjamin #Franklin found a Leyden jar very similar to a cannon (or a gun) because they both shoot out something powerful (electricity and bullet) and when he touched a Leyden jar, his hand immediately jerked back just like the recoil of firing a gun.
To store more electric charge, Benjamin Franklin linked up many Leyden jars with each other. And if one Leyden jar is like a cannon, then a group of #Leyden jars is like, well, a group of cannon or a #battery.
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The first person using the word battery to describe an electrical device was Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790. At the time, people already knew that friction between leather (or paper) and glass produced an electric charge but they didnt know how to store the charge, that is until 1745, some European scientists invented a device called Leyden jar which could gather an electrical charge and store it until it is discharged. People who touched a charged Leyden jar felt a shock of such violence that my whole body was shaken as by a lightning stroke.
#Benjamin #Franklin found a Leyden jar very similar to a cannon (or a gun) because they both shoot out something powerful (electricity and bullet) and when he touched a Leyden jar, his hand immediately jerked back just like the recoil of firing a gun.
To store more electric charge, Benjamin Franklin linked up many Leyden jars with each other. And if one Leyden jar is like a cannon, then a group of #Leyden jars is like, well, a group of cannon or a #battery.
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Davide
I have watched so many of your videos, can I marry you? Of course I am joking as I am already betrothed. To listen to someone with the same passion as I have for physics and it's history is amazing.
Keep up the good work, so many people are oblivious or forgot the thing they were taught in school.
Will you do one on something that interests me. I am an ex radar engineer, dealing with obviously frequencies of 4 Gig upwards, of which obviously were trained in waveguides, all the E and H field stuff.
After leaving that field of engineering I started obviously watching computer processor ability rise and cross into the microwave bandwidth. I am interested really as when that started happening it threw all of my learning into the ether about signal containment, shielding etc.
I am sure your reply will be to do with P and V, it is just the frequency bit I find hard to get. Cheers Dave
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I have watched so many of your videos, can I marry you? Of course I am joking as I am already betrothed. To listen to someone with the same passion as I have for physics and it's history is amazing.
Keep up the good work, so many people are oblivious or forgot the thing they were taught in school.
Will you do one on something that interests me. I am an ex radar engineer, dealing with obviously frequencies of 4 Gig upwards, of which obviously were trained in waveguides, all the E and H field stuff.
After leaving that field of engineering I started obviously watching computer processor ability rise and cross into the microwave bandwidth. I am interested really as when that started happening it threw all of my learning into the ether about signal containment, shielding etc.
I am sure your reply will be to do with P and V, it is just the frequency bit I find hard to get. Cheers Dave
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richaarrd1
I have a problem with this explanation of the word battery. the item Kathy holds up near the beginning of the talk is properly call a cell. a battery refers to a GROUP of cells in series with one another. thus a flashlight might have two dry cells to make up its battery (singular) that lights the lamp. The battery in my car is correctly call a battery because, if you open it up, you will find several wet cells in series. If one looks that the diagram of the galvanic battery, you see that it is really a large group of individual cells.
At least that's what my father taught me and insisted that I always use the proper term!
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I have a problem with this explanation of the word battery. the item Kathy holds up near the beginning of the talk is properly call a cell. a battery refers to a GROUP of cells in series with one another. thus a flashlight might have two dry cells to make up its battery (singular) that lights the lamp. The battery in my car is correctly call a battery because, if you open it up, you will find several wet cells in series. If one looks that the diagram of the galvanic battery, you see that it is really a large group of individual cells.
At least that's what my father taught me and insisted that I always use the proper term!
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Seth
We used to take chicken legs and make them move with a 9 volt battery. Not the drumstick part but just the scaly leg and foot part. This back it was cheaper to go get a live chicken the buy it lop its head off, pluck it, clean it gut it, chop it up and cook it. We had a chicken guillotine thing, not a tree stump and an axe. Yes, they will run around with no head, but not for very long. Being this is how people used to eat meat, and a lack of hospitals the experiments with dead animals and corpses were not really all that morbid or gruesome. You may have had corpse in your house until someone could help you remove it and bury it.
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We used to take chicken legs and make them move with a 9 volt battery. Not the drumstick part but just the scaly leg and foot part. This back it was cheaper to go get a live chicken the buy it lop its head off, pluck it, clean it gut it, chop it up and cook it. We had a chicken guillotine thing, not a tree stump and an axe. Yes, they will run around with no head, but not for very long. Being this is how people used to eat meat, and a lack of hospitals the experiments with dead animals and corpses were not really all that morbid or gruesome. You may have had corpse in your house until someone could help you remove it and bury it.
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Cruise
Absolutely WRONG. An AAA or an AA or a C or a D battery like the one you held up at the start is not a battery. Those are individual cells. The only modern battery that is an actual battery is the 9 volt type because it contains multiple (i. e. a battery) of cells. Multiple cells is a battery. One cell is a cell. People generally call the AAA, AA, C and D cells a battery because the English language is in decline and people are just ignorant. Those cells are not batteries and have nothing to do with cannons at all.
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Absolutely WRONG. An AAA or an AA or a C or a D battery like the one you held up at the start is not a battery. Those are individual cells. The only modern battery that is an actual battery is the 9 volt type because it contains multiple (i. e. a battery) of cells. Multiple cells is a battery. One cell is a cell. People generally call the AAA, AA, C and D cells a battery because the English language is in decline and people are just ignorant. Those cells are not batteries and have nothing to do with cannons at all.
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Unconscious
As a youngster learning this subject I was taught that a battery was made up of multiple cells. For instance a single AA cell is not a battery, however if you connect multiple cells together, that is what actually constitutes a battery? For instance a common 12 volt automotive battery constitutes six individual cells in series, with a nominal charge of two volts each. The word battery implies more than one. A battery of artillery implies more than one artillery piece.
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As a youngster learning this subject I was taught that a battery was made up of multiple cells. For instance a single AA cell is not a battery, however if you connect multiple cells together, that is what actually constitutes a battery? For instance a common 12 volt automotive battery constitutes six individual cells in series, with a nominal charge of two volts each. The word battery implies more than one. A battery of artillery implies more than one artillery piece.
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k15n1
I love the format---the bar at the top is excellent. If you put those words in the description, they can be found with a search engine, too. Your speaking voice and tempo is even to the point that it's clear at 3x (2. 5x is fast enough for me, though. Your comment that historians ignored certain people because they are women is a distracting claim. Consider Hanlon's Razor and assume foolishness before malice. We just don't know any of the details in this story.
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I love the format---the bar at the top is excellent. If you put those words in the description, they can be found with a search engine, too. Your speaking voice and tempo is even to the point that it's clear at 3x (2. 5x is fast enough for me, though. Your comment that historians ignored certain people because they are women is a distracting claim. Consider Hanlon's Razor and assume foolishness before malice. We just don't know any of the details in this story.
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benm
I can ONLY thank YOU, for the history of science, you have given in this vedio and ofcourse in many other programs.
Much appreciated.
Individuals are getting HABITUATED to take these pieces of S&T for granted.
Something like growing on a plant or that is available in nature.
NOT realising and comprehending, the THINKING, understanding the AVAILABLE science BEFORE finding NEW pieces of science (or USEFUL knowledge.
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I can ONLY thank YOU, for the history of science, you have given in this vedio and ofcourse in many other programs.
Much appreciated.
Individuals are getting HABITUATED to take these pieces of S&T for granted.
Something like growing on a plant or that is available in nature.
NOT realising and comprehending, the THINKING, understanding the AVAILABLE science BEFORE finding NEW pieces of science (or USEFUL knowledge.
reply
Jeffy
great video. glad you included the perhaps less well known people in this history lesson.
regarding the question of next video, both? is both an option? id also think it would be great to have one about Faraday. if im not mistaken the farad is named after him, and that and the relationship between batteries and capacitors would be 'galvanizing' to many. i couldnt help noticing the 'electric organ' resemblence to capacitors.
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great video. glad you included the perhaps less well known people in this history lesson.
regarding the question of next video, both? is both an option? id also think it would be great to have one about Faraday. if im not mistaken the farad is named after him, and that and the relationship between batteries and capacitors would be 'galvanizing' to many. i couldnt help noticing the 'electric organ' resemblence to capacitors.
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jpavlvs
Thanks. I had no idea why batteries were named batteries. As an Artillery FDC man I'll say this. A single cannon is called a gun or a piece. A pair is a section, a battery is 4 or 6 guns depending on how many are assigned to the battery. In the Marine Corps in my day (Vietnam) a battery was 6 105mm guns. I enjoy your lectures, Kathy. Thanks. PS. In spite of Meredith Willson a battery is not '50 mounted cannon'.
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Thanks. I had no idea why batteries were named batteries. As an Artillery FDC man I'll say this. A single cannon is called a gun or a piece. A pair is a section, a battery is 4 or 6 guns depending on how many are assigned to the battery. In the Marine Corps in my day (Vietnam) a battery was 6 105mm guns. I enjoy your lectures, Kathy. Thanks. PS. In spite of Meredith Willson a battery is not '50 mounted cannon'.
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trevcam6
This was taught in physics at high school.
Most dry batteries are cells. One anode, one cathode and some chemistry between them. Two or more interconnected cells are a battery of cells. A car battery is a battery of cells.
Confusing batteries and cells in high school physics class, homework or tests lost marks. It was our physics teacher's pet hate.
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This was taught in physics at high school.
Most dry batteries are cells. One anode, one cathode and some chemistry between them. Two or more interconnected cells are a battery of cells. A car battery is a battery of cells.
Confusing batteries and cells in high school physics class, homework or tests lost marks. It was our physics teacher's pet hate.
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Ken
My understanding was that battery was simply short for a battery of cells where we commonly called a single chemical reaction compartment a cell (take apart a 9V battery and that is exactly what you will find. I am old enough to remember when we used dry cells which would still leak and corrode your radio if you left them in too long after they went dead.
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My understanding was that battery was simply short for a battery of cells where we commonly called a single chemical reaction compartment a cell (take apart a 9V battery and that is exactly what you will find. I am old enough to remember when we used dry cells which would still leak and corrode your radio if you left them in too long after they went dead.
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powell789
I love your videos! When i was a student of electrical engineering at UC Berkeley in the 1980s, i received a grade of A+ in a class of the history of technology and an invitation from Professor Susskind, to pursue an advanced degree in that field. I declined the invitation, but still value the knowledge of the history of technology. Thank you.
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I love your videos! When i was a student of electrical engineering at UC Berkeley in the 1980s, i received a grade of A+ in a class of the history of technology and an invitation from Professor Susskind, to pursue an advanced degree in that field. I declined the invitation, but still value the knowledge of the history of technology. Thank you.
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Richard
Kathy Loves Physics and so does TLU (The Logical Universe. I wonder if, in your quest for understanding and great explanation skills, could you do a piece on Nobel Lorite Richard Feynman. I would certainly be excited about what you have to offer. Science is not done yet. It is still evolving and you my friend, are a part of it.
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Kathy Loves Physics and so does TLU (The Logical Universe. I wonder if, in your quest for understanding and great explanation skills, could you do a piece on Nobel Lorite Richard Feynman. I would certainly be excited about what you have to offer. Science is not done yet. It is still evolving and you my friend, are a part of it.
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Ramses
While studying chemistry, in my junior year of the engineering course, I found in my text book(Chemistry in engineering, I guess) a citation, and a photo, of a(still functioning) battery from the Mesopotamia area, from the times of the its ancient civilizations. If true Volta didn't invented the battery, but re-invented it.
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While studying chemistry, in my junior year of the engineering course, I found in my text book(Chemistry in engineering, I guess) a citation, and a photo, of a(still functioning) battery from the Mesopotamia area, from the times of the its ancient civilizations. If true Volta didn't invented the battery, but re-invented it.
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Кver
When I read the thumbnail I was expecting to find out how batteries came to be named AA, AAA, C and D. In my head I made a correlation i. e AAA = Anti Aircraft Artillery. Also thought about Pachelbels Canon in D.
I feel like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of OZ. If I only had a brain.
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When I read the thumbnail I was expecting to find out how batteries came to be named AA, AAA, C and D. In my head I made a correlation i. e AAA = Anti Aircraft Artillery. Also thought about Pachelbels Canon in D.
I feel like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of OZ. If I only had a brain.
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Janusz
Hi Kathy, great job; fascinating, informative, educational and enjoyable episodes about electricity. It appears you research the historical material thoroughly. I'm just wondering if you've come across when, how, and perhaps why, the word direct came to be used to name direct current?
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Hi Kathy, great job; fascinating, informative, educational and enjoyable episodes about electricity. It appears you research the historical material thoroughly. I'm just wondering if you've come across when, how, and perhaps why, the word direct came to be used to name direct current?
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Diesunddas
It's absolutely astounding how influential Franklin was for electricity. Even for the terminology. He came up with (and first understood) positive and negative and also battery! Reducing him to the kite thing is so unfair.
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It's absolutely astounding how influential Franklin was for electricity. Even for the terminology. He came up with (and first understood) positive and negative and also battery! Reducing him to the kite thing is so unfair.
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the
your every video
is so
thoroughly
researched
and so full of amazing pieces of information
that
it deserves to be shown
in schools and ignorant people like me should be forced to watch your videos.
reply
your every video
is so
thoroughly
researched
and so full of amazing pieces of information
that
it deserves to be shown
in schools and ignorant people like me should be forced to watch your videos.
reply
featherbrain
I believe they are called batteries because normally a battery of single cells is required, single cells producing only one to two volts per cell. Perhaps that's what you were saying, I didn't watch all.
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I believe they are called batteries because normally a battery of single cells is required, single cells producing only one to two volts per cell. Perhaps that's what you were saying, I didn't watch all.
reply
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