1791 – 1867
“Nature is our kindest friend and best critic in experimental science if we only allow her intimations to fall unbiased on our minds.”
Born : 22 September 1791 in London, England, UK
Died : 25 August 1867 (aged 75) in Hampton Court, Middlesex, England
Father : James Faraday
Mother : Margaret Hastwell
Nationality : British
Spouse : Sarah Barnard
Children : Two
Fields : Physics & Chemistry
Started to work at the Royal Institution : March 1, 1813 at the age of 21
Known For :
Faraday and the Electromagnetic Theory of Light
Faraday’s law of induction
Electrochemistry
Faraday Effect
Faraday Cage
Faraday Cup
Faraday Paradox
Faraday Rotator
Faraday Wave
Faraday Constant
Lines of Force
Awards & Achievement :
Royal Society Bakerian Medal(1829)
Royal Medal (1835 and 1846)
Copley Medal (1832 and 1838)
Rumford Medal (1846)
Albert Medal (1866)
7 Facts About Michael Faraday :
Michael Faraday is one of the greatest scientists of 19th century. He is famous for his contribution to electromagnetism and electrochemistry.
1. Church Sunday School was his only education
– As it often happens with self-taught geniuses, Michael acquired only elementary knowledge. He learned how to read and write at church Sunday school and then had to earn money. Later, when he was fourteen, he read the article in Encyclopedia Britannica and his self-education started.
2. Was under protection of the famous British chemist davy
– The second opportunity for the growth after Britannica came when he got a ticket to the lectures of Sir Humphry Davy, which took place at the Royal Institution in London. Sometime later Michael started to work as Davy’s assistant.
3. Firstly Chemist, then Physicist
– Now Michael Faraday is recognized especially as a physicist who studied electromagnetism. But his journey to science started with Davy’s chemical lectures and then the apprenticeship. So, he learned chemistry from his master, and some of Davy’s ideas helped him in his further inventions.
4. The small Christian sect was his only influence
– The main Michael’s idea which helped him in his discoveries was the unity of all natural forces and their ability to convert to each other. But can you believe that this idea was established in his mind by a small Christian sect his family belonged to? This spirit had a strong impact on his attitude towards nature and especially electricity.
5. Discovered the first electric motor
– Inspired by the idea of transforming the electrical energy into the mechanical one, Faraday constructed the machine which could really make this transformation. This construction was the first electric motor.
6. Authored the new theory of electrochemistry
– This is what Michael Faraday is mostly known for. The modern science owes him the discovery of electromagnetic induction, the phenomenon of diamagnetism and the technique of electrolysis. Now the basic law of electromagnetism bears his name, and we know it as Faraday’s law of induction.
7. Gave his name to the cage and the effect
– The last name of this great scientist lives not only on the pages of school books but also in the names of his inventions. The Faraday cage is a construction invented by Michael which blocks electromagnetic fields. The Faraday effect proves the connection between optical and electromagnetic phenomena.
