PartⅢDevelopingideasFRANKLIN’SEXPERIMENT:HowMuchIsTrue
BenjaminFranklin’sfamousexperimentwithlightninghasintroducedgenerationsofchildrentoscience
However,newresearchsuggests(1)thatthestorymaybefictioninsteadoffact
Thewell-knownstoryis(2)thattheAmericanFoundingFatherandscientistflewakiteduringastormin1752
Atthattime,therewasmuchinterestinelectricity
Peoplewantedtoknow(3)iflightningwasreallyproducedbyelectricityorsomethingelse
Franklinwasoneofthem
Heraisedthekite(4)withapieceofstringtiedtoit
Ametalkeywasattachedtothestring
Aflashoflightninghitthekite,andelectricitywasconductedthroughthestringtothekey
Franklinthentouchedthekeywithhisfingerandgotanelectricshock
This,hesaid,proved(5)thatlightningwasaformofelectricity
Formanyyears,schoolshavetaughtthestoryofFranklin’slightningexperiment
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