Uyu munsi, umuntu ashobora kwatsa itara, agacomeka mudasobwa, agatereka telefoni ku muriro cyangwa agafungura televiziyo, byose akabikora mu masegonda make. Ariko mbere y’uko ibyo bintu biba ibisanzwe, abantu bamaze imyaka myinshi bagerageza gusobanukirwa ikintu kimwe: amashanyarazi ava he, akora ate, kandi ashobora gute gukoreshwa mu buzima bwa buri munsi?

Igitangaje ni uko nta muntu umwe wavumbuye amashanyarazi ngo ahite ayageza ku rwego tuyaziho uyu munsi. Hari ababonye ibimenyetso byayo mu bintu bisanzwe, abandi basobanura uko ikora, abandi bavumbura uburyo bwo kuyibyaza ingufu, naho abandi bagira uruhare mu kuyigeza mu ngo no mu nganda. Reka turebe uko ibyo bitekerezo byagiye bihurizwa hamwe kugeza ubwo amashanyarazi ahindutse imwe mu nkingi z’ubuzima bwa none.

1. Amashanyarazi yari ahari kera cyane mbere y’uko abantu bayasobanukirwa

Hashize imyaka irenga 2.500, abantu bo mu Bugereki bwa kera bari barabonye ikintu cyabatangarije. Iyo bafashe ibuye ryitwa amber, bakarisiga ku mwenda cyangwa ku bwoya bw’inyamaswa, ryashoboraga gukurura utuntu tworoshye, nk’uduce duto tw’ibyatsi.

Icyo gihe ntibari bazi neza icyabiteraga, ariko ibyo babonye byari kimwe mu bimenyetso bya mbere by’ubushakashatsi ku mashanyarazi adahoraho ahantu hamwe, azwi nka “static electricity”.

Ibyo ntibivuga ko Abagiriki ari bo bavumbuye amashanyarazi ubwayo. Ahubwo bari batangiye kubona ikimenyetso cyayo no kwibaza ku mpamvu yacyo. Ndetse n’ijambo “electricity” rikomoka ku ijambo ry’Ikigereki “elektron”, risobanura amber.

2. William Gilbert atangira gusuzuma amashanyarazi mu buryo bwa siyansi

Mu mwaka wa 1600, umuhanga w’Umwongereza witwa William Gilbert yasohoye igitabo cyasobanuraga ubushakashatsi yakoze ku byerekeye rukuruzi n’ibindi bintu bifite imbaraga zo gukurura.

Gilbert yagerageje ibintu bitandukanye kugira ngo amenye ibyabiteraga, anerekana ko imbaraga zo gukurura zigaragara mu bintu bimwe zitatandukanywa n’ubushakashatsi ku rukuruzi gusa.

Icyo yakoze cyari ingenzi kuko cyafashije guhindura amashanyarazi avuye ku kintu abantu batangariraga gusa, akajya mu bintu abahanga bashobora gukora ubushakashatsi kuri byo, bakandika ibyo babonye, bakagerageza gusuzuma niba ibisubizo byabo ari ukuri.

Aha ni ho urugendo rw’amashanyarazi nk’ishami rya siyansi rwatangiye kurushaho gutera imbere.

3. Abashakashatsi batangira gukora amashanyarazi no kuyabika

Mu kinyejana cya 17, abahanga batangiye gukora imashini zishobora kubyara amashanyarazi adahoraho ahantu hamwe, aho gutegereza gusa ko habaho ibintu bisanzwe bituma agaragara.

Nyuma, hagati ya 1745 na 1746, abashakashatsi Georg von Kleist na Pieter van Musschenbroek bakoze ibikoresho byashoboraga kubika amashanyarazi. Ibyo bikoresho byaje kumenyekana nka “Leyden jar”.

Ibi byari intambwe ikomeye kuko byatumye abahanga bashobora kubika amashanyarazi bakoresheje ibikoresho byabugenewe, hanyuma bakayakoresha mu bushakashatsi butandukanye.

Ubwo ni bwo ubushakashatsi bwatangiye kuva ku kwitegereza gusa, bugana ku buryo bwo gukora amashanyarazi, kuyabika no gusuzuma uko yitwara.

4. Benjamin Franklin ahuza amashanyarazi n’inkuba

Mu kinyejana cya 18, ikibazo cyari kigihari ni ukumenya niba amashanyarazi aboneka mu bushakashatsi ari yo afitanye isano n’inkuba abantu babonaga mu kirere.

Umuhanga w’Umunyamerika witwa Benjamin Franklin yakoze ubushakashatsi kuri iki kibazo. Mu 1752, ubushakashatsi bw’Abafaransa bwari bwaramaze kugaragaza ko amashanyarazi ashobora gukusanywa mu muyoboro w’icyuma hafi y’igicu cy’inkuba, kandi Franklin na we azwi cyane ku bushakashatsi bwe bwifashishaga urukumbo.

Inkuru izwi cyane ivuga ko Franklin yakoresheje urukumbo n’urufunguzo mu kwerekana isano iri hagati y’inkuba n’amashanyarazi. Icyakora, abahanga mu mateka baracyajya impaka ku buryo nyirizina yigeze gukora ubwo bushakashatsi.

Iby’ingenzi ni uko ubushakashatsi bw’icyo gihe bwafashije kugaragaza ko inkuba n’amashanyarazi aboneka mu bundi bushakashatsi bifitanye isano. Franklin yanagize uruhare mu gusobanura imyitwarire y’amashanyarazi no guteza imbere igitekerezo cyo gukoresha inkoni ziyobora amashanyarazi kugira ngo hirindwe inkongi ziterwa n’inkuba.

5. Alessandro Volta avumbura bateri, amashanyarazi atangira gutangwa mu buryo buhoraho

Nubwo abahanga bari bamaze gutera imbere mu kubika amashanyarazi, byari bigikomeye kuyabona mu buryo buhoraho kandi bworoshye gukoresha mu bushakashatsi.

Mu mwaka wa 1800, umuhanga w’Umutaliyani witwa Alessandro Volta yakoze bateri ya mbere y’amashanyarazi ishobora gutanga amashanyarazi akomeza gutemba igihe cyose ibikoresho byayo bikora neza.

Iyi yari intambwe ikomeye cyane. Mbere yaho, abahanga bakoreshaga cyane amashanyarazi adahoraho, ariko bateri ya Volta yabafashije kubona umuyagankuba ushobora gukomeza gutemba mu muyoboro.

Izina “volt”, rikoreshwa mu gupima urwego rw’amashanyarazi rwitwa voltage, ryahawe iryo zina mu rwego rwo kumwibuka.

6. Abahanga bavumbura ko amashanyarazi na rukuruzi bifitanye isano

Mu mwaka wa 1820, umuhanga w’Umudani witwa Hans Christian Ørsted yabonye ikintu cy’ingenzi: umugozi urimo umuyagankuba ushobora guhindura icyerekezo cy’urushinge rwa kompas ruri hafi yawo.

Ibi byagaragaje ko amashanyarazi ashobora kugira ingaruka kuri rukuruzi. Nyuma yaho, André-Marie Ampère yakomeje ubushakashatsi kuri iyo sano, afasha gusobanura uburyo amashanyarazi n’imbaraga za rukuruzi bikorana.

Ibyo byafunguye inzira y’ubuvumbuzi bwaje gufasha gukora moteri z’amashanyarazi, ibyuma bitanga amashanyarazi n’ibindi bikoresho bikomeye.

Ni nk’aho abahanga bari batangiye kubona ko ibintu bibiri byari bisanzwe bifatwa nk’ibitandukanye bifitanye isano ikomeye.

7. Michael Faraday amenya uburyo bwo kubyaza amashanyarazi rukuruzi

Mu mwaka wa 1831, umuhanga w’Umwongereza Michael Faraday yakoze ubuvumbuzi bwahinduye cyane amateka y’amashanyarazi.

Yerekanye ko guhindura isano iri hagati ya rukuruzi n’umugozi bishobora gutuma habaho umuyagankuba mu mugozi. Ubu buryo buzwi nka “electromagnetic induction”.

Mu magambo yoroshye, iyo rukuruzi n’umuyoboro w’amashanyarazi bigendanye mu buryo bukwiye, bishobora gutuma amashanyarazi aboneka.

Iri hame ni ryo ryabaye umusingi w’imashini zitanga amashanyarazi zikoreshwa mu nganda no mu mashanyarazi menshi akoreshwa uyu munsi.

Faraday ntiyagarukiye aho. Ibitekerezo bye byafashije n’abandi bahanga gukora moteri, imashini zitanga amashanyarazi n’ibikoresho bihindura urwego rw’amashanyarazi.

8. James Clerk Maxwell asobanura amashanyarazi n’urumuri

Mu myaka ya 1860, umuhanga w’Umusikotishi James Clerk Maxwell yakoze ibarura n’inyigisho byafashije guhuriza hamwe ubumenyi bw’amashanyarazi na rukuruzi.

Yerekanye ko ibyo abahanga bari barabonye bishobora gusobanurwa n’amahame amwe ya siyansi. Mu nyigisho ze, yagaragaje kandi isano ikomeye iri hagati y’imirasire ya rukuruzi n’urumuri.

Ibi byari ingenzi kuko byafashije abandi bahanga gusobanukirwa uburyo umurima w’amashanyarazi n’uwa rukuruzi bishobora gukwirakwira mu kirere nk’imiraba.

Ibitekerezo bya Maxwell byaje kuba umusingi w’ubushakashatsi bwakurikiyeho ku miyoboro y’itumanaho idakoresha insinga, radiyo n’andi mashami y’ikoranabuhanga. 

9. Thomas Edison n’abandi bahanga batuma amatara y’amashanyarazi akoreshwa mu ngo

Mu kinyejana cya 19, abahanga benshi bari bamaze igihe bagerageza gukora amatara y’amashanyarazi ashobora kumara igihe kirekire kandi agakoreshwa mu buryo bworoshye.

Thomas Edison si we wenyine wagerageje gukora itara. Abandi, barimo Joseph Swan, na bo bari baragize uruhare mu guteza imbere amatara yaka akoresheje amashanyarazi.

Edison n’itsinda rye bakoze amatara ashobora kumara igihe kirekire, ariko umwihariko w’ibyo bakoze ntiwari itara ryonyine. Banakoze uburyo bwo kubyara amashanyarazi, kuyageza ku bakiriya no kuyakoresha mu gucana amatara.

Mu mwaka wa 1882, uruganda rwa Edison rwatanze amashanyarazi ku bakiriya binyuze kuri sitasiyo ya Pearl Street mu mujyi wa New York. Ibi byari kimwe mu bikorwa bya mbere by’ingenzi byatumye amashanyarazi atangira kugera ku bantu benshi nk’igicuruzwa gikoreshwa buri munsi.

10. Nikola Tesla na George Westinghouse bafasha amashanyarazi kugera kure

Mu gihe Edison yari yarateje imbere uburyo bw’amashanyarazi atemba mu cyerekezo kimwe, Nikola Tesla n’abandi bahanga bakoraga ku buryo bw’amashanyarazi ahindura icyerekezo, buzwi nka “alternating current” (AC).

Tesla yateje imbere uburyo bwa moteri n’ibindi bikoresho bikoresha amashanyarazi ahindura icyerekezo. Umucuruzi n’umuhanga mu nganda witwa George Westinghouse yafashije mu kugeza ibyo bitekerezo ku rwego rw’ubucuruzi.

Icyiza gikomeye cy’uburyo bwa AC ni uko voltage ishobora guhindurwa, bigatuma amashanyarazi ashobora koherezwa ku ntera ndende mu buryo buboneye kurushaho.

Mu mpera z’ikinyejana cya 19, ubu buryo bwagize uruhare rukomeye mu kwagura imiyoboro y’amashanyarazi no kugeza ingufu ku bantu benshi kurushaho.

11. Amashanyarazi ahinduka igice cy’ubuzima bwa buri munsi

Nyuma y’ubwo buvumbuzi, amashanyarazi yakomeje gukwirakwira mu mijyi no mu nganda. Yafashije gucana amatara, gukora imashini, gutwara abantu, gukoresha ibikoresho byo mu ngo no guteza imbere uburyo bwo gutumanaho.

Nyuma yaje no kuba umusingi w’ikoranabuhanga rigezweho. Mudasobwa, telefoni, ibikoresho by’ubuvuzi, imiyoboro ya interineti n’izindi mashini nyinshi bikenera amashanyarazi kugira ngo bikore.

Uyu munsi, amashanyarazi ashobora guturuka ku masoko atandukanye, arimo amazi, umuyaga, izuba, ibicanwa n’ingufu za kirimbuzi. Nubwo uburyo bwo kuyabyara butandukanye, ubuvumbuzi bw’abahanga ba kera bwafashije gushyiraho amahame akoreshwa mu kuyabyaza ingufu no kuyageza ku bakoresha.

Mu by’ukuri, nta muntu umwe wavumbuye amashanyarazi

Amateka y’amashanyarazi agaragaza uko ubumenyi bw’abantu bwubakwa buhoro buhoro. Abantu ba kera babonye ibimenyetso byayo, Gilbert ayegereza ubushakashatsi bwa siyansi, Franklin afasha gusobanura isano yayo n’inkuba, Volta atanga uburyo bwo kubona umuyagankuba uhoraho, Faraday yerekana uko rukuruzi yakoreshwa mu kubyara amashanyarazi, naho Maxwell asobanura amahame y’ingenzi ayobora iyo mikorere.

Nyuma yabo, Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse n’abandi bahanga n’abanyenganda bafashije guhindura ubwo bumenyi bukajya mu bikoresho abantu bakoresha.

Ni na yo mpamvu iyo ucanye itara cyangwa ugacomeka mudasobwa, uba ukoresha umusaruro w’imyaka myinshi y’ubushakashatsi n’ibitekerezo by’abantu benshi.

Amashanyarazi ntiyavutse ku gitekerezo cy’umuntu umwe. Yageze aho ari uyu munsi kubera ko buri gisekuru cyagiye cyiga ku byo abababanjirije bavumbuye, kikabikosora, kikabyagura kandi kikabibyaza ikintu gifitiye ubuzima bw’abantu akamaro.