retroelectro
Legacy The galvanometer may very well be the most important tool to emerge from the nineteenth century. With the practical application of Ørsted’s research, it had an impact throughout Europe within weeks. Although Europe was divided by language, this story illustrates how the publication of periodic research journals could translate and disseminate milestone discoveries in just a matter of weeks. This narrative also shows that, despite the efforts of the brightest minds on the planet to find a connection between magnetism and electricity, it took decades for a single observation to be documented and reproduced, triggering the electrical boom and paving the way for the second industrial revolution.
Sir Humphrey Davy
Georg
In Britain…
Arago’s demonstration in early September 1820, was quickly reported to the science community within Britain. Notably Sir Humphry Davy and his lab assistant, Michael Faraday. Davy was the President of the Royal Society at the time, a seat that was held by Sir Isaac Newton a hundred years earlier. He and Faraday’s research culminated in 1831, where Faraday proved that not only does a current create magnetic fields, but magnetic fields can create a current. His discovery of electromagnetic induction led to his invention of the electric generator.
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