Essay on Michael Faraday Of England And Joseph Henry Of America

1071 Words Nov 17th, 2015 5 Pages
At the beginning of the 19th century, scientists were beginning to gain a basic understanding of electricity and magnetism. But they knew almost nothing about the relationship between the two .
Baltic German physicist Heinrich Lenz took the first step toward filling this gap with his creation of his law. This was his most impacting contribution he had to physics.
At approximately the same time Lenz was conducting his research in this area, scientists Michael Faraday of England and Joseph Henry of America were making similar discoveries. Some in the scientific community suggested that Lenz was the wiser of the three, but not the smartest. Both Faraday and Henry were both brilliant in the field failed to properly quantify or infer their findings. Lenz on the other hand, showed scientific insight that was unusual for his time, carefully documented all phases of his research. which made it easier for future scientists to cite his work.
Besides the law being named in his name, Lenz shares billing with James Prescott Joule on the Joule-Lenz law . They both made similar laws and independent discoveries at about the same time Joule-Lenz law had slightly different attributes. The law provides a calculable analysis of the speed at which resistance in a course changes electric energy into heat energy .
Heinrich Lenz also mad another important contribution to physics. The symbol “L” from Lenz, was chosen to represent “inductance” in honor of his innovative work…

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