Ampere, the Paris professor who turned a needle's twitch into a new science
It was a quiet September afternoon in Paris, 1820, when news from Denmark's Copenhagen reached Andre-Marie Ampere in Paris where he was teaching at cole Polytechnique. Hans Christian Orsted, a Danish physicist, had made a strange observation during a lecture back in April: a magnetic needle shifted direction when placed near a wire carrying electric current.Instead of just being impressed, Ampere lit up. He rushed back to his laboratory at the College de France, repeated the experiment with his own voltaic pile, and took note of deeper implicationsadvertisementWithin days, he was in front of the French Academy of Sciences, not only confirming Orsted's effect but showing something even bigger: electric currents could create not just magnetic fields, but movement.
They could generate motion, forces, patterns -- an entirely new branch of physics. That lightning-rod moment became the heart of electrodynamics -- what we now call electromagnetism.And it wasn't a fluke. Ampere had spent years quietly battling personal loss, grief, isolation, and the aftermath of the French Revolution. The language of physics and mathematics had become his lifelines.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
A LIFE SHAPED BY LOSS AND LEARNINGBorn on January 20, 1775, in Lyon, France, Ampere grew up in a home full of books. His father, a devout follower of philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau, allowed him to learn freely.advertisementAmpere was solving calculus problems in Latin by age 13. But tragedy shaped him -- his father was guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and later in life, he lost his wife too.These losses haunted him. Yet, instead of folding inwards, he turned to science and faith for answers.NO FORMAL SCHOOLING, BUT AN INSATIABLE MINDAmpere never attended a formal university as a student. He was largely self-taught, devouring mathematics, Latin, philosophy, and natural sciences from books in his father's library.
(figures from the Memoirs on Electromagnetism and Electrodynamics) (Photos: Wikimedia Commons)
Eventually, he secured a teaching post at the Collge de France and later became a professor at the cole Polytechnique in Paris, which is where he had his revolutionary finding.HIS BIG IDEA: CURRENTS CREATE FORCESIn 1820, building on Orsted's experiment, Ampere proposed that two parallel wires carrying electric currents attract or repel each other, depending on the direction of current.This idea, now known as Ampere's force law, gave the world the first mathematical description of how electricity and magnetism are related. He didn't stop there. Ampere laid out an entire theory of electromagnetism, introducing concepts like the electric current loop and how it produces a magnetic field, which became the basis for modern electromagnet design.WHY HE'S CALLED THE FATHER OF ELECTROMAGNETISMAmpere gave the science a structure. He even coined the term electrodynamics. His careful mathematical work paved the way for later scientists like James Clerk Maxwell to create a unified theory of electromagnetism.In his honour, the unit of electric current -- the Ampere -- bears his name.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
AMPERE'S PERSONAL LIFEDespite his scientific genius, Andr-Marie Ampre's life outside the lab was marked by hardship and quiet resilience. Ampere married Julie Carron in 1799, and they had a son, Jean-Jacques Ampre.But just four years into their marriage, Julie died of tuberculosis in 1803, leaving Ampere devastated.Her death deeply affected him, and those close to him said he never fully recovered. Much like what happened when his father died, he turned inward, pouring himself into his research while raising their son alone.advertisementA modest man, Ampre avoided the spotlight and lived simply, even as his ideas lit up Europe's scientific community. He remained deeply religious all his life, often turning to faith during moments of grief and uncertainty.
Ampere and his son are buried in Paris
His son, Jean-Jacques, grew up to become a respected historian and literary scholar, and eventually became a member of the prestigious Acadmie Franaise, carrying forward the Ampere name in the world of letters, while his father had already immortalised it in science.AMPERE'S DEATH AND LEGACYAndre-Marie Ampere died on June 10, 1836, in Marseille, France, while on a scientific inspection tour. He was 61.Today, he is buried in Paris's Montmartre Cemetery. His legacy? Every time an electric current flows -- from your phone charger to a massive power grid -- Ampere's equations are at work.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
Summer Solstice 2025: When Is The Longest Day Of Year & What Does It Mean?
As summer approaches, the Northern Hemisphere anticipates the Summer Solstice 2025, marking the longest day of the year. This astronomical event occurs when the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the Sun, resulting in the greatest number of daylight hours and the shortest night. When is the Summer Solstice 2025? The Summer Solstice 2025 will take place on Friday, June 20, 2025, at 10:42 PM EDT (0242 GMT on June 21). The exact moment signifies the beginning of summer and the peak of daylight for the Northern Hemisphere. Why Does the Summer Solstice Occur? The summer solstice occurs because Earth's North Pole is tilted closest to the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its highest point in the sky. This alignment results in extended daylight hours, with early sunrises and late sunsets for regions in the Northern Hemisphere. What Does "Solstice" Mean? The term "solstice," derived from the Latin "solstitium" (meaning "sun stands still"), refers to the point when the Sun's apparent motion in the sky pauses before changing direction. Historical Significance of the Summer Solstice The solstice traditionally symbolises the start of summer and has captivated civilisations for millennia. Ancient Greeks like Eratosthenes used the solstice to accurately measure Earth's size. Structures like Stonehenge and Machu Picchu were strategically built to align with the sun during solstices, and in Egypt, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx align with the solstice sunset, demonstrating ancient peoples' deep understanding of the Sun's movements. Earth's Tilt and Its Impact Due to Earth's tilted axis of approximately 23.5 degrees, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at its most direct angle during the solstice, while the Southern Hemisphere enters winter, experiencing its shortest day and longest night. At the solstice's precise moment, the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, an imaginary line 23.5 degrees north of the equator, marking the beginning of the Sun's southward journey.
United News of India
19 hours ago
- United News of India
PM Modi thanks Croatian PM Plenkovic for his gift of Sanskrit grammar book written in Latin
New Delhi, June 19 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Croatian PM Andrej Plenkovic for his gift of a reprint of the first Sanskrit grammar book written in Latin in 1790 by a Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin, terming it a remarkable symbol of the enduring intellectual and cultural bonds between the two nations. In a post on X, the PM said: 'Thank you, Prime Minister Plenković. This is indeed a remarkable symbol of the enduring intellectual and cultural bonds between India and Croatia! May these bonds get even stronger in the times to come.' He was replying to a post by the Croatian PM Plenkovic, who wrote on X: 'I presented to the Indian Prime Minister @PMOIndia @narendramodi a reprint of Vezdin's Sanskrit Grammar - the first printed Sanskrit grammar, written in Latin in 1790 by Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin (1748–1806), based on the knowledge he gained while living in India from Kerala Brahmins and local manuscripts. 'With this pioneering work, Filip Vezdin became one of the first European scientists to seriously devote himself to Indian languages and culture. At the same time, this is also a symbol of the early cultural ties between Croatia and India. 'As part of the gift exchange, I also presented a book "Croatia & India, Bilateral Navigator for Diplomats and Business" by Croatian diplomat Dr. Siniša Grgić - which provides a unique and comprehensive comparative overview of our two countries and explores all dimensions of bilateral relations. 'This book reflects our achievements, as well as the potential we can still realize, and we believe that it will inspire and encourage the strengthening of our future cooperation and contribute to the further deepening of the mutual friendship between Croatia and India.' Notably, PM Modi, during his visit to Zagreb yesterday was greeted by the chanting of Sanskrit mantras by a group of Croatians, who were in Indian attire and with sandalwood tilak on their foreheads. During PM Modi's visit to Croatia yesterday, the two leaders held talks and signed some agreements. UNI RN
News18
a day ago
- News18
Stellar Boom! Exploding Dying Star Seen From Earth With Naked Eye
Last Updated: V462 Lupi, a star in a distant binary system, has exploded in a rare cosmic event that may be briefly visible to the unaided eye. Stargazers across the southern hemisphere are being treated to a rare celestial event this week, after astronomers confirmed a sudden nova explosion in the southern constellation Lupus. The star, named V462 Lupi, dramatically brightened on June 12, increasing its luminosity more than four million times to reach magnitude +5.7, making it just visible to the naked eye under dark skies. The outburst was first confirmed by astronomers in Chile and South Korea, with Dawid Mozdzierski capturing the moment from the Atacama Desert and Bum-Suk Yeom publishing a finder chart to help observers locate the star. Classified as a classical nova, V462 Lupi is part of a binary system in which a white dwarf siphons gas from a companion star. As material accumulates, it eventually triggers a thermonuclear explosion, lighting up the system dramatically. Nova Lupi 2025 (= V462 Lupi) imaged at about 03:45 UTC on the 19th. Discovered a few days ago, it's probably around maximum light now. I estimated its visual magnitude at around +5.4. Low in the sky from this latitude, but not hard to find with binoculars. — Dr. John Barentine FRAS (@JohnBarentine) June 19, 2025 A report by broadcaster India Today pointed out that these events are not unprecedented, but they are 'rare". They occur usually only about once a year and are often too faint or short-lived to be noticed without telescopes. The nova's current brightness places it just within the threshold for unaided viewing, but astronomers say it could dim just as fast. When pressure and temperature reach critical levels, a thermonuclear reaction ignites, causing a sudden, dramatic brightening and often thousands to millions of times. This outburst is called a nova (Latin for 'new"). This makes the star temporarily visible even to the naked eye. Unlike supernovae, novas don't destroy the star, and the cycle can repeat over time. Classical novas occur about once-a-year galaxy wide. According to NASA, despite the name, a nova isn't a new star being born. Ancient astronomers thought they were seeing a brand-new star suddenly appear in the sky. In reality, it's an old star flaring up.
