Michael Faraday

1. Michael Faraday Physicist and Chemist Project By: Iyanna Boatwright-Buffaloe

2. Overview • 1791-1867 • Contributed significantly to the field of electromagnetism • Inventor of the electric motor • Inspiration for the naming of SI unit of capacitance, the Ferad.

3. Early Life • Born September 22, 1791 to Mr. James Faraday and Ms. Margaret Hastwell • Father was a blacksmith who survived with very little income • Spent his childhood in poverty and never went to school • Began to gain an interest in learning on his own and got a job at a bookstore

4. Early Science Interests • Faraday received a ticket to attend the lectures of Sir Humphrey Davy at Royal Institute • Got a job in Sir Davy’s laboratory after impressing him with his lecture notes • Sir Davy became one the of the influential people in Faraday’s life • Went on to establish his own identity as a scientist

5. Faraday and Electromagnetism • Electromagnetism was new and not much was known about it before Faraday’s experiments • Major contributions to electromagnetism include Faraday’s Law of Induction, Faraday’s Laws of Electrolysis, the Faraday Cage, and the Faraday Effect • Produced the first generator, electric transformer, electric arc, and discovered electrostatics

6. Controversy • Faraday showed Sir Davy his experiments and asked if he could publish them however Davy never gave his opinion • Sir Davy never game Faraday any acknowledgement for his achievements • When the experiments were published, Davy tried to blame Faraday for submitting them without his approval • People who did not like Faraday accused him of plagiarizing ideas

7. The Royal Institute • In 1824, Faraday submitted an application to the royal institute, an organization devoted to scientific education and research • He was turned down, and there was suspicion that Sir Davy was behind it because he did not want to consider him as equal • A year later, Faraday was elected into the Royal Society and was later accepted into the directory of the laboratory of the Royal Institute

8. Faraday’s Declining Health • After many years of stressful work and lack of sleep, Faraday’s health began to decline • He often collapsed, claimed memory loss and was unable to write or study frequently • Ended his lecturing in 1861 • Passed away peacefully in 1867 at the age of 76

9. The Significance of his Discoveries • Faraday’s work led to many of the everyday devices we rely on • His concepts are used in microwaves, generators, and any other appliance that provides a shield from electromagnetic forces • Without his work much of what scientists know today about electromagnetism would be non existent

10. Sources • http://biography-of.com/michael-faraday • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SCfaraday.htm • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/faraday_michael.shtml