Michael Faraday edit

Michael Faraday (22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who made foundational contributions to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. Though largely self-taught, Faraday is regarded as one of the greatest experimental physicists in history.

Early Life and Education edit

Faraday was born into a poor family in Newington Butts, now part of South London. He had little formal education and worked as a bookbinder's apprentice. His interest in science was piqued through reading, particularly the books he bound.

His career began in earnest when he became an assistant to the renowned chemist Sir Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution.

Major Contributions edit

Electromagnetic Induction edit

Faraday's most famous discovery is electromagnetic induction, the principle behind electric transformers and generators.

In 1831, he demonstrated that a changing magnetic field induces an electric current in a nearby conductor:

$ℰ = - \frac{d Φ_{B}}{d t}$

Where:

$ℰ$ is the electromotive force (emf)
$Φ_{B}$ is the magnetic flux

This is known as Faraday's Law of Induction, which is one of Maxwell's Equations:

$\nabla \times 𝐄 = - \frac{\partial 𝐁}{\partial t}$

Faraday's Laws of Electrolysis edit

Faraday also formulated two quantitative laws of electrolysis:

First Law: $m \propto Q$

The mass $m$ of a substance deposited or liberated at an electrode is directly proportional to the amount of electric charge $Q$ passed through the electrolyte.

Second Law: $\frac{m_{1}}{m_{2}} = \frac{E_{1}}{E_{2}}$

The amounts of substances deposited by the same amount of charge are proportional to their equivalent weights.

Faraday Cage edit

Faraday demonstrated that the electric charge on a conductor resides only on its exterior. He built what is now called a Faraday Cage, which blocks external static and non-static electric fields. This principle is fundamental in shielding sensitive electronic equipment.

Legacy and Impact edit

Faraday’s experimental findings laid the groundwork for much of modern electromagnetic technology.
He strongly influenced James Clerk Maxwell, who translated Faraday’s experimental laws into the mathematical framework of Maxwell’s Equations.
Albert Einstein kept a picture of Faraday in his study, alongside Newton and Maxwell.

Recognition and Honors edit

The unit of capacitance, the farad (F), is named in his honor.
He held the position of Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution for over 30 years.
Faraday declined a knighthood and a burial at Westminster Abbey, wishing to remain "plain Mr. Faraday."

Death edit

Faraday died in 1867 at the age of 75. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.

Michael Faraday

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