An ampere (amp) is a single unit of electric current in the International System of Units. It equates to one coulomb, which is the collective term for a number of electrons moving past a point in one second. This measure of current takes its name from Andre-Marie Ampere born June 10, 1836. We decided to explore the life of this otherwise forgotten hero. Where did he come from, and what else did he achieve?
Andre-Marie Ampere Electromagnetic Pioneer
The young man’s parents were French business people. They believed in the entrepreneurial spirit, because they kept him out of school. And so instead, they encouraged Andre-Marie Ampere to educate himself in their extensive library in the house.
It was after all the Age of Enlightenment, when science and open discourse held sway. A good grounding in Latin opened the doors to a body of scientific literature. In addition, the young man taught himself advanced mathematics before he entered his teens.
Placing Andre-Marie Ampere in Social Context
The Age of Enlightenment followed the French Revolution that swept the old order aside. A door was wide open for Andre-Marie to explore history, travel, poetry, philosophy, and the natural sciences. He accepted a position to teach mathematics at a local school, to support himself after his father died.
Later, Andre-Marie Ampere became professor of physics and chemistry at the École Centrale in Bourg-en-Bresse, despite having no formal qualification. He lectured on many topics from mathematics and philosophy, to chemistry and astronomy after election to the prestigious Chair in Experimental Physics at Collège de France.
Towards a Physical Understanding of Electromagnetism
Our star for the day was a prolific author who published widely. We remember him particularly for his work in electro magnetism:
- He developed a mathematical and physical model to explain the relationship between electricity and electromagnetism.
- He formulated Ampere’s Law to explain the attraction or repulsion between two electric wires carrying current.
Andre-Marie Ampere later became a foreign member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters, and Fine Arts in Belgium. In 1881, an international convention created the standards of electrical measurement. They named one of these the ‘ampere’ in acknowledgement of the many breakthroughs made by this ‘The Newton of Electricity’, as they called him.
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