André-Marie Ampère

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Ampere Andre 1825

André-Marie Ampère (20 January 1775 – 10 June 1836) was a French physicist and mathematician who was one of the founders of the science of classical electromagnetism, which he referred to as "electrodynamics". His name is one of the 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel Tower, and he is most famously known for the formulation of Ampère's Law, which relates the circulating magnetic field in a closed loop to the electric current passing through the loop. Ampère's contributions to the field of electromagnetism were instrumental in the development of electrical engineering.

Early Life

André-Marie Ampère was born in Lyon, France, into a prosperous family. His father, Jean-Jacques Ampère, was a successful merchant. Ampère showed a profound ability in mathematics from a young age, teaching himself advanced levels of the subject by the age of 12. However, his formal education was interrupted by the French Revolution, during which his father was executed. This event deeply affected Ampère, leading him to temporarily abandon his studies.

Career and Contributions

In 1802, Ampère was appointed as a professor of physics and chemistry at the École Centrale in Bourg-en-Bresse, where he began his career in scientific research. He later moved to the University of Paris, where he focused on the study of mathematics and physical sciences.

Ampère's most significant work came after Hans Christian Ørsted's discovery in 1820 that a magnetic field is generated around a wire carrying an electric current. Intrigued by this discovery, Ampère began conducting experiments and within a week developed the mathematical and physical theory to describe the phenomenon, now known as Ampère's Law. This law states that the magnetic field in space around an electric current is proportional to the electric current. His work laid the foundation for the mathematical theory of electromagnetism, known as Ampère's circuital law.

Ampère also proposed the existence of a particle he called the "electrodynamic molecule" (now known as the electron) and hypothesized the principle of mutual interaction between these particles, which is a precursor to the concept of the electromagnetic field.

In addition to his work in electromagnetism, Ampère made contributions to the fields of chemistry, mechanics, and mathematics. He was one of the first to apply mathematics to chemistry, founding the field of electrochemistry. He also made significant contributions to the theory of equations and mechanics, particularly the theory of solenoids.

Legacy

Ampère's contributions to science are commemorated in the naming of the unit of electric current, the Ampere, in his honor. His work laid the groundwork for the development of electrical technology, including the telegraph and electric motor. Ampère is remembered as a key figure in the history of physics, and his theories continue to influence the study of electromagnetism today.

Selected Works

• Considérations sur la théorie mathématique du jeu (1802)
• Recueil d'observations électro-dynamiques (1822)
• Théorie des phénomènes électro-dynamiques, uniquement déduite de l’expérience (1826)

See Also

• Electromagnetism
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Hans Christian Ørsted
• Electric current