Introduction:
American scientist Joseph Henry, born in Albany, New York, on December 17, 1797, was a key figure in the 19th-century advancement of electromagnetism. Henry made just as much of an impact on the pitch as his contemporaries James Clerk Maxwell and Michael Faraday, although frequently being overlooked. This article explores the life and achievements of Joseph Henry, emphasising his groundbreaking contributions to the field of electromagnetic.
Early Life and Education:
Joseph Henry (1797-1878) elucidated the Scientific world on the concept of electromagnetic induction, that of inducing a current to flow when flux lines (of a magnetic field) are broken ‘cut’. It aided another of my “good friends”, Michael Faraday (1791-1867), to develop his law that Electromotive Force equals the rate of change of Magnetic Flux. It is quite a stretch to credit Michael with the Mathematical description of this law (as he was not the greatest Mathematician), which uses a well-known integral theorem.
Pioneering Contributions to Electromagnetism:
The teenaged “Giant” James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879), a senior wrestler at Trinity College in Cambridge, accomplished this feat. He is now well-known for his four basic (and exquisite) equations, which, among other things, summarised all of the laws of classical electromagnetism. Maxwell himself presented 20 equations originally, but Heaviside reduced them to four. As a side note, starting with electromagnetism, Einstein (1879-1955) was a huge fan of Maxwell as he used his theory of relativity to account for magnetism caused due to the motion of electrons. I have this book in my library entitled “A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism” by J.C. Maxwell. Another was the text by L. Boltzmann (1844-1906), but their discussions are for another day.
Thomas Jefferson:
Going back to Henry, he was honoured when the first Library of Congress building started in 1897. Unfortunately, though, the United States would rather keep the accomplishments of a statesman and president than a man of science. Therefore, it is now known as the Thomas Jefferson Building.
Conclusion:
I’m using the words from the Back to the Future trilogy. George is buried in Oak Park Cemetery in this fantastic television show to convey my age familiarity with the material. Oak Hill Cemetery is home to Joseph Henry’s grave. Did the filmmakers and producers honour the legendary man? Just a remark, but that might be a good idea. His inventive discoveries and creations enabled a great deal of technological advancement, showing the impact on the current electromagnetic research. Joseph Henry is not as well-known as some of his contemporaries. However, his contributions to the electromagnetic field are still significant and inspirational.
