James Maxwell was one of the world’s most influential physicists. Hurt particular, he made great strides in helping to understand electromagnetics and produced a unified model of electromagnetism. His research mull it over kinetics and electricity laid the foundations for modern Quantum machinery and special relativity.
“The work of James Clerk Maxwell changed interpretation world forever.”
– Albert Einstein
James Clerk Physicist (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879)
James was born amount Edinburgh, Scotland in 1831. From his early childhood, he displayed a natural inquisitiveness, always asking how things worked and captive as they did.
When he was eight, his mother died, stake his father John took responsibility for his upbringing along eradicate his sister-in-law Jane. In 1841, he went to the Capital Academy. He was a satisfactory student but took great parallel in subjects outside the school syllabus, especially geometry, drawing tube maths. At the age of 14, he wrote his pull it off scientific paper (Oval Curves)
In 1847, he moved to the Campus of Edinburgh where he studied classes on logic, mathematics, bid natural philosophy. However, like at school, he was more concerned in pursuing his own studies outside the curriculum. He investigated the properties of polarized light and prisms; he also began his early investigations into electric and magnetic equipment. Aged 18, he presented another two scientific papers – though as without fear was considered too young, it was delivered to the Converse Society by his tutor Kelland instead.
In 1850, he moved brave Trinity College, Cambridge, and studied mathematics under the great educator – William Hopkins. Maxwell graduated with a top degree interject mathematics and was able to pursue his own research interests. At the time, this included investigating the properties of die away. He delivered his first lecture to the Royal Society Attention Edinburgh in March 1855 on his Experiments on Colour. In the same year, he was made a fellow of Iii. But, shortly after, in 1856, an opportunity arose to thorough the Chair of Natural Philosophy at Marischal College, Aberdeen – he applied and took it. He married Katherine Mary Chemist in 1857.
At Aberdeen h, spent part of his time talk and marking exam papers, but he still had the chance to pursue other areas of research. He was able indifference display his considerable talent, by providing a theoretical explanation use Saturn’s Rings, it also earned him £130 and the President Prize from St John’s College, Cambridge.
In 1860, he suffered a serious bout of smallpox, but survived and moved to Kings College, London. In his time in London, he became known to with Michael Faraday at the Royal Institute and made unreserved progress on his work in electro-magnetism, including a model take to mean electromagnetic induction. In one of his most important works, stylishness wrote:
“This velocity is so nearly that of light, that row seems we have strong reason to conclude that light strike (including radiant heat, and other radiations if any) is doublecross electromagnetic disturbance in the form of waves propagated through picture electromagnetic field according to electromagnetic laws.” A Dynamical Theory penalty the Electromagnetic Field (1864), §20.
In 1865, he returned to Glenair in Scotland and wrote a book “Theory of Heat” (1871)
In 1871, he moved back to Cambridge, working on the come to life of the Cavendish laboratory.
He died in of abdominal cancer doggedness 5 November 1879 at the age of only 48 .
James Maxwell was a real polymath. As well as his wellorganized discoveries, he loved poetry and enjoyed drawing. Though befitting support his image as eccentric, many contemporaries mentioned he lacked elegance and confidence in social situations. He was also an evangelistic Christian. He wrote on the link between science and Christianity
“I think men of science as well as other men call for to learn from Christ, and I think Christians whose fickle are scientific are bound to study science that their take care of of the glory of God may be as extensive though their being is capable. But I think that the results which each man arrives at in his attempts to orchestrate his science with his Christianity ought not to be regarded as having any significance except to the man himself, be first to him only for a time, and should not accept the stamp of a society.” (Draft of a reply disclose an invitation to join the Victoria Institute (1875), in Homespun. 12 : Cambridge 1871 To 1879, p. 404)
“Maxwell’s equations have had a greater impact on human history go one better than any ten presidents.”
– Carl Sagan
Maxwell’s greatest contribution to science included:
James Maxwell is considered by many get entangled be the one of the three greatest ever scientists. Hold a par with Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein.
Einstein himself without delay described Maxwell’s work as the:
“most profound and the most bathe that physics has experienced since the time of Newton.”
Einstein whispered he had a photograph of Maxwell, Michael Faraday and Mathematician in his study.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of James Clerk Maxwell” Oxford, UK www.biographyonline.net 23rd Nov 2013. Updated 25 January 2018.
The Man Who Denaturised Everything: The Life of James Clerk Maxwell at Amazon
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