"Experimental Research" by Michael Faraday

The English scientist, Humphry Davy, is primarily known as the inventor of a miner's lamp, which saved the lives of many and many miners. He discovered magnesium, calcium, barium, strontium, sodium. He was the founder of electrochemistry ... However, Davy himself considered his main discovery - the discovery of Faraday , the future author of the fundamental work "Experimental research on electricity."

The path to the science of the bookbinder Michael Faraday - the son of a blacksmith from the London suburb - is amazing and unique. The natural mind, perseverance, purposefulness, exorbitant work allowed this self-taught man to enter the temple of science, then to glorify his name with amazing studies of magnetism and electricity.

... Hardly having received the initial skills of reading, writing and arithmetic at school, he began to work in the bookstore of the French emigrant J. Ribot. It is given for seven years to study bookbinding. And yet it can be said that Michael was lucky - he could read books. At first he reads everything that binds: volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, the discoveries of Watt, Stephenson. From the books he reads he learns the names of Newton, Galileo, Copernicus, Leonardo da Vinci. Then he was particularly interested in articles on electricity in the British Encyclopedia.

And once Faraday caught three small volumes of "Chemical conversations" of Ms Mars. They made a strong impression on him. Under their influence, Michael first began to experiment: he decided in practice to verify the facts stated in the books. On Sundays, the store turned into a kind of club: newspapers were read aloud, the news was animatedly discussed, the host acquainted visitors with the novelties of the book. All this expanded the outlook of the young bookbinder.

The thirst for knowledge was insatiable. He attends paid lectures of the physicist Tatum (the owner does not forbid to leave the workshop for a while, and the elder brothers give Faraday the sacred shillings - the entrance fee); Takes lessons in drawing and drawing, reads and thinks a lot about the read.

In 1809 Faraday started a diary: "A philosophical collection of various articles, notes, events, adventures, etc., relating to the arts and sciences and collected from newspapers, reviews, magazines and other writings in order to facilitate the pleasure of self-learning, and also to strengthen And the destruction of theories common in the academic world. "

One of Faraday's friends invited him to the Royal Institute at the lecture of Humphry Davy on chemistry. Davy read the lectures perfectly, accompanied them with experiments, they attracted many listeners. Faraday carefully recorded the lectures, and then interlaced them. His records turned into an elegant book. Now this handwritten book in fine leather binding is in the Royal Institute. She keeps Faraday's autograph: "Let this book be a manifestation of my sincere joy and dear memory of the wonderful lectures of Davy."

After attending the Royal Institute, the young man realized that his vocation was science. But how to get into this magnificent and mysterious temple to a simple bookbinder? On the advice of friends, he writes a letter to Humphry Davy and applies a volume of lectures to him. And asks to take on any job at the Royal Institute. The scientist answered the bookbinder, moreover, he was ready to see Faraday ... And a miracle happened. The great chemist scientist took Michael Faraday as his secretary. And at the very beginning of 1813, at the request of Davy, the young man was admitted to the Royal Institute as an assistant to the chemical laboratory.

In the protocol on Faraday's admission to work, it was said that "his character is active and peppy, and the course of action is reasonable." Soon Faraday had another good luck: Davy took him on a trip to Europe, where he met with outstanding scientists of the continent. It was at this time that Faraday formulated his rule of "Observe, study and work," the rule he followed all his life.

Abroad, Davy gets acquainted with everything new that has been achieved in the field of chemistry. He repeats the most valuable experiments and verifies scientific conclusions. Faraday helps him. The hours spent in the laboratory are happy for him. Chemical experiments interspersed with fascinating expeditions - to the crater of Vesuvius, to ancient Pompeii ...

At first, Faraday worked in the field of chemistry. And the first article published in the journal was devoted to the results of an analysis of Tuscan lime (1816). This note, provided with the introduction of G. Davy, brought much joy to the author, helped to overcome shyness. After that he began to write frequently in the journal reports on his experiences. His name was known in the academic world. However, the true glory brought Faraday research on electricity.

... February 15, 1820 Danish scientist G. Oersted discovered an amazing phenomenon: when an electric current flows through the conductor, the compass needle is deflected.

Now every schoolboy knows this, and then the message of Oersted shocked scientists - for the first time a connection was established between electricity and magnetism. It turned out that an electric current generates magnetism. It is clear, with what attention the learned world of London, Paris, Munich, Geneva, Petersburg studied the small work of Oersted "Experiments Relating to the Action of Electric Conflict on the Magnetic Arrow" that appeared in July 1820. The experiments were repeated, again and again, causing the magnetic needle to rotate under the action of an electric current.

The English scientist Wollaston suggested that the wire through which the current is passed should rotate around its axis under the action of a magnet. However, the experience did not give a positive result. Faraday was present at the conversation.

It was in 1821. At this time, on the advice of R. Philipps , the editor of a scientific journal, a young scientist wrote "The experience of the history of electromagnetism" in order to generalize everything that has been achieved in this field. He follows his favorite method - personally checking all experiments.

Unexpectedly, the generalization of the "alien" experience ended in brilliant success. Faraday achieved a continuous rotation of magnets and wires, through which an electric current flows. His discovery, he outlined in the article "On Some New Electromagnetic Movements and on the Theory of Magnetism." It was dated September 11, 1821. A little later, in two notes, he gave a description of the instruments with which you can demonstrate this movement. This article with two additions was published at the end of the year in a scientific journal. It immediately attracted universal attention and was translated into French and German. (Later, Faraday included this article in the second volume of "Experimental Research on Electricity.")

Ampere , having met Faraday's article, called him a great physicist. One of the translators of the article - Gilbert, agreeing with Ampere, wrote: "The author showed so much experimental dexterity, such a wealth of resources for the question of nature and at the same time so much wit and self-control that he owes an outstanding position among the newest physicists."

The article "On Some New Electromagnetic Motions and on the Theory of Magnetism" was accompanied by several drawings by Faraday. On one of them - the device for creating continuous rotation. Such a device earned in the last days of December 1821.

The rotation of the wire brought Faraday into indescribable delight. Turning to the brother of his wife George Barnard, who was in the laboratory, he exclaimed excitedly: "You see, you See, you see, George!" The device was tiny, toy, but it is the model of the first electric motor. Thus, for the first time, a continuous transformation of electrical energy into a mechanical one was carried out.

This discovery served as the impetus for numerous attempts to create new engines . One of them, suitable for practical use, was invented by Academician B. B. B. Jacobi in 1834. It was in this year in the memoirs of the Paris Academy that he published his note on a new "magnetic machine," that is, an electric motor. And three years later he informed the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences that the engine he created works quite reliably.

In 1838, on the Neva River, a test was carried out on a boat propelled by an electric motor. Boat - the world's first electric ship - with a crew of 14 people a few hours rose against the current of the Neva. The famous traveler IF Krusenstern took part in the preparation and successful carrying out of this extraordinary experiment .

In the second volume of the "Studies" published materials proving the priority of Faraday in the discovery of electromagnetic rotation. So, the transformation of electricity into magnetism was achieved. Now Faraday conceived the idea of ​​"turning magnetism into electricity." The solution of this problem is a huge event, not inferior to any of the achievements of the last century.

The first success was achieved on August 29, 1831. On this day, Faraday discovered the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction . He found that the passage of an electric current through one wire coil causes current in another wire coil.

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