An arc across fields of study: electricity in Physics and Chemistry (1751-1807)

Abstract

Electricity does not obey disciplinary boundaries, yet its history is dominated by stories of heroic physicists and engineers. These histories do not reflect its dynamic nature. My dissertation analyzes how the concept ‘electricity’ evolved from a material fluid to a force as scientists’ chemical concepts changed. By analyzing the history of electricity from a chemical perspective, my dissertation demonstrates that the study of electrical phenomena played an important role in the emerging field of chemistry. It focuses on the period between 1751, when Benjamin Franklin published Experiments and Observations on Electricity, and 1807, when Humphry Davy published On Some Chemical Agencies of Electricity.