Written by Katie Wolber
This world would not run without women. They have contributed countless inventions that have changed how we live our everyday lives.
In honor and recognition of their amazing work, read this blog post on 10 everyday items invented by women!
In honor of women’s history month, today we would like to take a look back at the contributions and inventions of women in STEM. Check out these commonly used items and tools that were invented by women!
Coffee Filter
Melitta Bentz, a German entrepreneur, invented the coffee filter in 1908! Bentz was often bothered by the coffee grounds in her cup of coffee. To remedy this, she used a piece of blotting paper from her son’s notebook as a filter. In June 1908, Bentz was granted a patent for her innovation, the “coffee filter.” Shortly afterward, she started a business to sell this product on a larger scale.
Wifi
Hedy Lamarr was both an inventor and a Hollywood actress. In 1941, Lamarr filed a patent for frequency-hopping technology, and although she has been acknowledged for her contributions, she never received any compensation for it. This frequency-hopping technology was the predecessor to what we now know as wi-fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. These inventions are now used globally every day.
Computer
Grace Hopper was an American computer scientist. From a young age, Hopper was always intrigued by engineering. She was involved in the creation of UNIVAC, which was the first all-electronic digital computer. She then developed a standardized computer language known as COBOL, which allowed computers to respond to both words and numbers. Hopper was recognized for her work on a national scale and became the first woman to be named a distinguished fellow of the British Computer Society.
Electric Refrigerator
Florence Parpart was an inventor who created the modern electric refrigerator in 1914, as well as a new and improved street cleaning machine. Following these inventions, Parpart was largely successful in marketing and selling her refrigerators to the public.
Kevlar
Stephanie Kwolek was an American chemist who invented a synthetic fiber known as Kevlar in 1965. Kwolek came across these unique polyamide solutions that can be spun into strong fibers while she was in search of the next generation of “super fibers.” Kevlar is a strong, heat-resistant material that is now used in tennis racket strings, protective vests, boats, airplanes, and more!
Modern Hair Brush
Lyda Newman was an inventor, and in 1898, she became the third black woman to ever receive a patent. She received this patent for her invention of the first hairbrush with synthetic bristles, which we now call the “modern hairbrush.” She wanted to improve the design of hair brushes to make them more efficient and hygienic. In place of animal hair, these synthetic bristles are more effective for all different types and textures of hair.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ruth Wakefield was a nutritionist who specialized in the science of food and nutrients. In the 1930s, she purchased an old toll house in Massachusetts that she turned into a lodge called the Toll House Inn. One day while making cookies for her guests at the inn, she ran out of baker’s chocolate and substituted it with bits from a chocolate bar. She expected the chocolate would melt into the dough in the oven, but instead was surprised to find that the chocolate mostly held its shape and softened into a creamy texture. Her chocolate chip cookie recipe became very popular with the guests at her inn and soon was published in a Boston newspaper. Soon after, she made a deal with the Nestle Chocolate Company, allowing them to print her recipe on their products in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate.
Sugarcane
Janaki Ammal was the first female Indian Botanist, or plant scientist. In 1931, she became the first Indian woman to receive her doctorate in botany in the U.S. With her knowledge, she developed several hybrid crop species that are still grown today. In the 1930s, she crossbred different sugarcane plant species to create an even sweeter type of sugar.
Dishwasher
Although Josephine Cochrane never received a formal science education, she grew up in a family of engineers and thus was always inventing things. She enjoyed having lots of guests over for dinner parties at her house, but realized that her plates kept getting chipped when they were scrubbed too hard. In 1886, she received a design that used water jets to spray the dishes and had a dish rack to hold the tableware in place. Other people had attempted to design similar machines at the time but none before hers had been commercially successful for use in people’s houses. Cochrane’s company eventually became KitchenAid, part of the Whirlpool Corporation that makes many of today's modern dishwashers.
Electric Hot Water Heater
Ida R. Forbes was an inventor from Los Angeles who designed an electric water heater in 1917 that could heat water to a specific temperature. She allowed people to heat their baths without gas for the first time. Electrically heated showers and baths are a luxury we can thank Ida R. Forbes for today!
Looking for more resources to empower and inspire your young scientist? Check out our workbook full of exciting science experiments and empowering activities!
Learn more and purchase today!
