Plate tectonics (from the Late Latin tectonicus, from the Greek: ÏÎµÎºÏÎ¿Î½Î¹ÎºÏÏ pertaining to building) is a scientific theory describing the large-scale motion of 7 large plates and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of the Earth's lithosphere, over the last hundreds of millions of years.
1600s | 1700s | 1800âs. Benjamin Franklin was one of most innovative Americans of all time. In deed, his work and experiments resulted in several important discoveries and inventions including electricity, bifocal glasses, a usable battery and many more. Ben Franklin believed electricity could be harnessed from lightning. In 1752, he devised an experiment to test his theory. Although details of the experiment remain sketchy to this day, Franklin originally wanted to test his theory atop a spire that was to be built on a Philadelphia church.
In 1752, Benjamin Franklin conducted the famous kite-and-key experiment to demonstrate that lightning was electricity and soon after invented the lightning rod. His investigations into electrical phenomena were compiled into âExperiments and Observations on Electricity,â published in England in 1751.