Which scientist is famous for experiments with electricity and for inventing the lightning rod and bifocal spectacles?

Introduction / Context:
Some scientists are remembered not only for theoretical work but also for practical inventions that improve daily life. Benjamin Franklin is one such figure, known for his experiments on electricity and for creating useful devices. This question asks you to identify the scientist who both studied electricity and invented practical items such as the lightning rod, which protects buildings from lightning strikes, and bifocal spectacles, which help people with different visual needs see clearly.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The person sought is a scientist who worked with electricity.
• He invented the lightning rod and bifocals.
• The options include inventors associated with bicycles, early photography and antibiotics.
• Only one of these names fits the combined description of electrical experiments and these specific inventions.

Concept / Approach:
Benjamin Franklin, an American statesman, scientist and inventor, performed famous experiments with electricity and proposed that lightning is an electrical discharge. To protect buildings, he invented the lightning rod, which safely directs lightning into the ground. He also invented bifocal spectacles that allow people to see both near and far without changing glasses. Kirkpatrick Macmillan is linked to early bicycles, William Henry Fox Talbot to photography and Sir Alexander Fleming to the discovery of penicillin. None of these individuals both experimented on electricity and invented the lightning rod and bifocals, so Benjamin Franklin is the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the unique combination: experiments with electricity plus inventions of lightning rod and bifocals.Step 2: Recall that Benjamin Franklin is the scientist most famously associated with the kite experiment and the invention of the lightning rod.Step 3: Recall also that Franklin designed bifocal spectacles, allowing a user to read and see distant objects with a single pair of glasses.Step 4: Check the options and find Benjamin Franklin listed as option B.Step 5: Recognise that Kirkpatrick Macmillan is credited with an early pedal driven bicycle, not with electrical experiments.Step 6: Recognise that William Henry Fox Talbot worked on photographic processes, and Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, both unrelated to lightning rods and bifocals.Step 7: Select Benjamin Franklin as the only choice matching all the clues.

Verification / Alternative check:
Biographies and science history texts consistently highlight Franklin electrical experiments, including the kite and key experiment, and his invention of the lightning rod. They also mention his role in designing bifocal spectacles. The other names in the options appear in very different contexts. Because this combination of contributions is unique to Franklin, he is the correct answer to this kind of general knowledge question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Kirkpatrick Macmillan is associated with early bicycle developments, not with electrical inventions or spectacle design. William Henry Fox Talbot made major contributions to photography, particularly the negative positive process, but did not invent lightning rods or bifocals. Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin and changed the history of medicine, but did not work on lightning protection or spectacles. Therefore, options A, C and D do not fit the description in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may be tempted to choose another famous scientist because they recognise the name but do not connect it to the precise inventions mentioned. Others may focus only on electricity and forget to match the inventions as well. A good strategy is to always cross check all parts of the question with the option: in this case, experiments on electricity, lightning rod and bifocals all point to Benjamin Franklin. Practising this habit reduces careless errors in multi clue MCQs.

Final Answer:
Benjamin Franklin is the scientist who experimented with electricity and invented the lightning rod and bifocal spectacles.