Scientist born in September

Electricity is very important to us.

We use it for so many different things.

In the modern-day and age, the use of electricity is abundant and necessary for people.

Hence it is crucial to remember the people who pioneered work in this department.

Micheal Faraday and his story

Micheal Faraday was one of the most famous scientists who moved the wheels of research and contributed significantly to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry.

Faraday was a British scientist and is often credited to be one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century.

He began his career as a chemist. It would be impossible to list down all his achievements.

Here are a few exceptional things that he put forth before we jump into his life:

He wrote a manual of practical chemistry that uncovers his craftsmanship and mastery in the technical aspects of his art

a. He discovered several new organic compounds, among them benzene

b. He was the first to liquefy a “permanent” gas. This is truly remarkable as before this it was believed that gases were incapable of liquefaction

c. His major contribution in the field of science lies in the research in the field of electricity and magnetism

d. He was the first person ever to produce an electric current from a magnetic field

e. He also invented the first electric motor and dynamo

f. Along with this, he demonstrated the relation between electricity and chemical bonding

g. He discovered the effect of magnetism on light, and discovered and named diamagnetism, the peculiar behavior of certain substances in strong magnetic fields.

h. He provided the experimental, and a good deal of the theoretical, foundation upon which James Clerk Maxwell erected classical electromagnetic field theory.

Childhood and young excellence

a. Now let us take a look at the life of this prodigy.

b. He was born on the 22nd of September, 1791 in a house in the south of London.

c. His family background was not the most affluent and hence unfortunately he could only receive some basic, formal education.

d. At the mere age of 14, Faraday was apprenticed into a local bookbinder. He took this opportunity very well and used it to his advantage.

e. During the next seven years, he educated himself by reading books on several scientific subjects.

f. In 1812, he attended four lectures given by a well-known chemist Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution.

g. He was so inspired by his words that Faraday subsequently wrote to Davy asking for a job as his assistant.

h. To his disappointment, Davy turned down the job. However, in 1813 Davy appointed him to the job of chemical assistant at the Royal Institution.

Faraday’s voyage

a. In the following year, Davy and his wife took Faraday on an 18-month tour all across Europe. This tour consisted of them visiting countries like France,

b. Switzerland, Italy, and Belgium and meeting many influential scientists.

c. After returning in 1815, Faraday continued to work at the Royal Institution, helping with experiments for Davy and other scientists.

d. 1821 was an important year for Faraday; she published his work on electromagnetic rotation (the principle behind the electric motor) that year.

e. Subsequently, he continued carrying out small researches in the 1820s, even though he was busy with many other projects simultaneously.

f. In 1826, he founded the Royal Institution's Friday Evening Discourses and in the same year the Christmas Lectures, both of which continue to this day.

g. At this place, Faraday himself spent multiple hours giving many lectures. This helped him establish his reputation as the outstanding scientific lecturer of his time.

Breakthrough and beyond

a. Faraday had a breakthrough discovery in the year 1831. This was the same year when he discovered electromagnetic induction.

b. Electromagnetic induction is the driving principle behind the electric transformer and generator. This discovery was crucial in allowing electricity to be transformed from a curiosity into a powerful new technology.

c. For the rest of the decade, Faraday was dedicated to working on developing his ideas about electricity.

d. Faraday is also popularly known for being partly responsible for coining many famous terms such as 'electrode', 'cathode', and 'ion'.

d. Faraday's scientific knowledge was harnessed for practical use through various official appointments, including scientific adviser to Trinity House (1836-1865) and Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich (1830-1851).