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A bottle, eine Flashe, une bouteille: three versions of the Leiden jar

The understanding and interpretation of the phenomenon involved in the development of the Leiden jar integrated different scholars and perspectives, as the device challenged 18th century theories about electricity, leading natural philosophers to intense debate and experimental productions. In this work, we compare the assumptions of Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), Franz Ulrich Theodosius Aepinus (1724–1802) and Jean-Antoine Nollet (1700–1770), to explain how and why the bottle supplied electricity. With the analysis of the three explanations, we can compare their similarities and mainly differences, explaining the different methods used to construct each theory. We understand that this type of historical study contributes to discussions necessary for Science Teaching regarding the complexity of scientific knowledge.

Keywords
Leiden jar; Science Teaching; 18th century electricity


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