Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday (English: Michael Faraday, September 22, 1791 - August 25, 1867), a British physicist, made many important contributions in the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry, among which the main contributions were electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and electrolysis. Although Faraday did not receive adequate formal education, he became one of the most influential scientists in history. In fact, he is often considered the best experimentalist in the history of science. He studied the magnetic field around current-carrying wires in detail and came up with the idea of ​​magnetic field lines, thus establishing the concept of electromagnetic fields. Faraday observed that magnetic fields affected the propagation of light, and he figured out the relationship between the two. He discovered the principles of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and Faraday's law of electrolysis. He invented an electromagnetic rotating machine, which is the prototype of today's electric motor. Thanks to Faraday's efforts, electromagnetic phenomena began to appear in technological developments with practical uses. Faraday also made great achievements in chemistry. He discovered benzene, studied chlorine cage compounds, invented the early form of Bunsen burner and its oxidation number, and also popularized terms such as anode, cathode, electrode and ion. He eventually became the first and most important Fuller Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institute of Scientific Research. Although Faraday was an excellent experimentalist and could convey his ideas in clear and simple language, his mathematical ability was relatively weak. He was limited to knowing how to use the simplest algebra, and was not familiar with other higher-level mathematics such as trigonometry. Therefore, James Maxwell later synthesized the research of Faraday and other scholars and wrote Maxwell's equations, which became the cornerstone of modern electromagnetic theory. In honor of Faraday, in the International System of Units, the unit of capacitance is Farad.