Michael Faraday

British scientist (1791–1867)

AI overview

Michael Faraday was a British scientist who lived from 1791 to 1867 and made groundbreaking discoveries in electricity and magnetism that laid the foundation for modern electrical technology. His work revealed fundamental connections between these forces and enabled the development of electric motors, generators, and transformers that power much of our modern world.

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Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Michael
Gender: male
Citizenship: Kingdom of Great Britain
Place of birth: London
Place of death: London
Occupation: writer
Languages spoken: English language
Native language: English language
Religion: Glasite
Award: Royal Society Bakerian Medal
Academic degree: honorary degree
Student of: Humphry Davy
Doctoral student: John Tyndall
Image: Michael Faraday. Photograph by Henry Dixon & Son Ltd. Wellcome V0026347.jpg
Work location: England

Show 16 more facts

place of burial: Highgate Cemetery
member of: Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony
Commons category: Michael Faraday
date of birth: 1791-00-00
date of death: 1867-00-00
topic's main category: Category:Michael Faraday
Commons gallery: Michael Faraday
influenced by: Jane Marcet
name in native language: Michael Faraday
on focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
student: Charles Joseph Hullmandel
writing language: English language
Commons Creator page: Michael Faraday
topic has template: Template:Michael Faraday
P8168: Bobby Bare
P12749: Charles II Otto, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

Works in European collections

21 objects attributed to Michael Faraday, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana

Chemische Manipulation oder das eigentlich Practische der sichern Ausführung chemischer Arbeiten und Experimente, [1]. [Grundwerk]

Experimental researches in electricity, 1851,1

Experimental researches in electricity, Vol. 3

Naturgeschichte einer Kerze : sechs Vorlesungen für die Jugend

The life and letters of Faraday : in two volumes, 1

Experimental Relations of Gold (and other Metals) to Light : (Separatabdruck aus?

Die verschiedenen Kräfte der Materie und ihre Beziehungen zu einander : 6 Vorlesungen für die Jugend

Experimental Researches in chemistry and physics

Chemische Manipulation oder das eigentlich Practische der sichern Ausführung chemischer Arbeiten und Experimente, [2]. Nachträge zur ersten Ausgabe von Faraday's chemischer Manipulation

On the Physical Character of the Lines of Magnetic Force : with a plate

Experimental researches in electricity, 1852,1

Chemical manipulation : Being instructions to students in chemistry, on the methods of performing experiments of demonstration or of research, with accuracy and success

Chemische Manipulation oder das eigentlich Practische der sichern Ausführung chemischer Arbeiten und Experimente, [2]. Nachträge zur ersten Ausgabe von Faraday's chemischer Manipulation

The chemical History of a Candle: A Course of Lectures delivered before a juvenile Audience at the royal Institution : a course of lectures delivered before a juvenile audience at the royal institution

Chemische Manipulation oder das eigentlich Practische der sichern Ausführung chemischer Arbeiten und Experimente, [1]. [Grundwerk]

The life and letters of Faraday : in two volumes, 2

Untitled

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Encyclopedic overview

Michael Faraday (22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English chemist and physicist who contributed vastly to the study of electrochemistry and electromagnetism. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and electrolysis. Although Faraday received little formal education, as a self-made man, he was one of the most influential scientists in history. It was by his research on the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a direct current that Faraday established the concept of the electromagnetic field in physics. Faraday also established that magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was an underlying relationship between the two phenomena. He similarly discovered the principles of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and the laws of electrolysis. His inventions of electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation of electric motor technology, and it was largely due to his efforts that electricity became practical for use in technology. The SI unit of capacitance, the farad, is named after him.

As a chemist, Faraday discovered benzene and carbon tetrachloride, investigated the clathrate hydrate of chlorine, invented an early form of the Bunsen burner and the system of oxidation numbers, and popularised terminology such as "anode", "cathode", "electrode" and "ion". Faraday ultimately became the first and foremost Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution, a lifetime position.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Michael Faraday” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.