John Read (inventor) facts for kids
John Read was a clever British scientist and inventor. He lived a long time ago, in the late 1700s. He is best known for creating a special machine that could make static electricity.
Contents
Who Was John Read?
John Read was a scientist and inventor from Britain. He lived in a place called Knightsbridge in London. He also taught at the Knightsbridge Charity School. This was a school that helped children who might not have been able to go to other schools.
His Amazing Inventions
John Read invented a unique machine. It was called a 'rotating doubler electrostatic generator'. This machine was used to create static electricity. You know, like when you rub a balloon on your hair and it sticks to the wall!
He called his invention a 'spectacle doubler'. This was because it used round glass discs, which looked a bit like spectacles or glasses. John Read's ideas for this machine were based on earlier work by another scientist named William Nicholson.
Studying Electricity in the Air
John Read was also very interested in the electricity around us. In 1791 and 1792, he carefully watched the electric field in the air. He noticed something interesting. The way this electricity behaved changed depending on how clean the air was.
Today, scientists understand this better. It's part of what is called the Global atmospheric electrical circuit. This is like a giant electrical system that goes all around the Earth.
Sharing His Discoveries
After John Read passed away, his work was shared with more people. A scientist named Richard Lovett was the first British academic to publish John Read's letters. This helped others learn about his important discoveries.
See also
- Tiberius Cavallo
- Jean Nicolas Pierre Hachette
- Charles Bernard Desormes
