Benjamin Franklin's inventions - Essay Example

Out of this situation, he had two pairs of spectacles cut into half and each half put lens in one frame. This invention is today known as bifocals. Commonly, bifocals are prescribed to persons with a condition called presbyopia (Barretta and Matthew 37). This paper will discuss some of the most prominent inventions of Benjamin Franklin. Although Franklin did not event electricity, he discovered many things regarding it that had previously not been understood. He showed that electricity comprised of a common element that he named “electric fire.

Prior to his experimentation, people thought that electricity comprised two opposing forces (Randolph 58). He further showed that electricity was fluid like a liquid that passed from one body to another but never destroyed. His work about this experimentation became the foundation of the single fluid theory. Additionally, he coined important terms during his experiments, which are presently used in electrical engineering. These terms include charge, minus, plus, armature, positively, conductor, negatively, and condenser.

In relation to electricity, he invented lightning rod (Barretta and Matthew 44). . Franklin also invented stove that came to be known as Franklin stove. It was invented in 1742; it is a metal-lined fireplace that is placed in the middle of the room. Prior to this invention, fireplaces warmed homes in America. This stove has rear baffles designed to improve airflow (Barretta and Matthew 47). Unlike a fireplace, it uses less heat and provides heat with less smoke. It has cast-iron furnace that radiates heat in all directions from the middle of the room, and the iron walls that absorb heat evenly (Randolph 96).

This design ensures that it provides warmth to the room even after the fire has gone out. Besides, Franklin invented glass armonica that enhanced harmony in music. This mechanized instrument premiered in early 1762 when Marianne Davies played it. It was foot-treadle-operated instrument holding 37 glass bowls. The player of the instrument touched the bowls’ rims with fingered moistened from water trough (Barretta and Matthew 65). In addition to the above inventions, Franklin made other inventions that either are used today or formed basis for future inventions.

He invented flexible urinary catheter. During his day, catheters were quite painful and rigid; tubes were inserted into the bladder through the urethra in order to drain urine from the body. He devised a catheter that had flexible tube thus making it less painful (Barretta and Matthew 83). It is important to note that this invention was inspired by Franklin’s desire to ease some discomfort for his brother who was suffering from kidney stones. Moreover, he invented odometer; he was curious as to the distance he was traveling by carriage as a postmaster, particularly for his travels between Boston and Philadelphia.

Although the odometer