James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was one of the greatest scientists who have ever lived. To him we owe the most significant discovery of our age - the theory of electromagnetism. He is rightly acclaimed as the father of modern physics. He also made…
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was one of the greatest scientists who have ever lived. To him we owe the most significant discovery of our age - the theory of electromagnetism. He is rightly acclaimed as the father of modern physics. He also made fundamental contributions to mathematics, astronomy and engineering.
Maxwell is one of the giants of physics. Unfortunately, his work is less famous than that of the other greats – possibly because his crowning glory – Maxwell’s Equations – are so hard to understand.In producing these equations, he was the first scientist ever to unify any of nature’s fundamental forces. He discovered that electricity and magnetism are actually, at the deepest level, the same force – the electromagnetic force. In doing so, Maxwell proved that light is an electromagnetic wave and so linked electricity, magnetism, and optics. As if this achievement were not enough, his kinetic theory of gases accurately explained the origin of temperature. He introduced probability into the physics of the very small, laying the foundation for quantum theory. He was the first person ever to produce a color photograph; and he used mathematics to explain Saturn’s rings over 100 years before the Voyager spacecraft confirmed that he was absolutely right. In addition to his great discoveries, in his personal life, he was known for his capacity for hard work, his friendliness, personal kindness and generosity.
Extra Credit: In the video a panel of 5 scientists is shown, only 4 are named in the video. Who is the 5th portrait of and why is he important?
The snippet of illustrative video used is from the Understanding Electromagnetic Radiation! | ICT #5 YouTube. It is worth viewing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWCN_uI5ygY
