–Summarize each of the inventions you studied this week and how they impacted history. Also, explain the most interesting thing you learned this week, and why.
Lesson 16 Portland Cement
Concrete fell out of use after Rome fell, but it was brought back by British lighthouse builders. Josef Aspdin was born in 1778 in England. He experimented with cement and patented his in 1824. He used limestone, then dirt, then clay, then added water. Then he set the mixture in the sun to dry. When dry, he broke it into clumps then burned the clumps to remove acid. When the clumps are ground into powder and mixed with water that is concrete. He built a factory in 1825 but had to move because a railway needed the spot where he was, but he built a new one in 1828. He had two sons that helped him run the business but one of his sons, William, left the business. Portland Cement is the most used cement in the world. It takes 5 weeks to cure and is strong under compression. William, when he broke away from his fathers factory because of some big argument. Then went and built his own factory, he made the same mixture but used more clay and baked at higher temperatures. It became popular but he lied and cheated. He said that his mixture was the same as his fathers so he did not have to pay for a patent. He even had the nerve to sprinkle shiny stuff in his mixture telling people that it was a magic ingredient. But, before he died he launched the modern cement industries. Portland Cement was used to build Christ the Redeemer one of the 7 new wonders of the world.
Lesson 17 Electromagnets
The vikings came from Denmark and were Christianized in the 1100s. Denmark became a productive country during the Reformation. The Danish Golden Age started about 1800. Hans Christian Oersted was born in Denmark in 1777. His father had a pharmacy and he was interested in science. He Excelled in college and became a professor in 1806. Noticed, during a lecture that a compass needle moved when a nearby current was turned on, that was his Eureka moment. He saw that a magnetic field was produced by a electric current. William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet in 1824. Magnetic materials produce strong magnetic fields. Electromagnets are simple to make. Ever wanted to play some music? Drive a car? Have you ever walked though a store door with your basket of groceries? Usually the door opens and closes automatically, well without electromagnets the door would not open or close. In fact none of the things I just mentioned would be possible without electromagnets.
Lesson 18 Passenger Rails
At first, railways were only used for mining and transportation of goods. George Stevenson was born in Britain in 1781. His father was a fireman and his parents were to poor to send him to collage. So at age 17 he became a fireman like his father and he was determined to learn to read and write so he began paying his way for an education. He got married and then when he was 22 his son was born. Then,when he was 24 years old, two years later his daughter was born but she only lived 3 weeks. Then one year later his wife died of tuberculosis. He only had his son left, but he was determined to support him. Stevenson moved to Scotland but quickly moved back because his father was blinded in a mining accident. When he was working in the mines, one of the steam engines broke down. Well he fixed it and it turned out that he was really good at working with steam engines. He became an expert and built his fist locomotive in 1814. It could haul 30 tons of coal 4 miles an hour up a hill. Stevenson got involved in building a railway and he and his son built the first passenger car in 1825. He drove his locomotive himself 9 miles 24 miles per hour hauling 80 tons of coal and the first passenger car named “Experiment”. Some trains can move 200 miles per hour.
Lesson 19 Matches
Matches are taken for granted. Before matches the need arose from smoking tobacco, there was no easy way to light your pipes. Enter John Walker, born in England in 1781. He wanted to help people by becoming a surgeon, but he could not stand the blood. So he went into chemistry and became a pharmacist. He became interested in fire and how to make it. He invented the match by one day in 1826 accidentally sticking a splinter of wood into a match solution and the accidentally striking it on his fireplace, it burst into flames! He sold the matches at 1 shilling per box of 50 matches. He never patented his invention because he made a pretty good salary as a pharmacist. Because of this, other people could easily copy his idea and improve it. In 1890 a man by the name of Pusey invented the matchbook. Every year the diamond match company makes 12 billion matches. This invention is the most interesting thing I learned this week because I like to camp and make campfires, and I never thought what it would be like to try to make a fire without matches.
School Stuff 