William Gilbert (astronomer)
William Gilbert ( also William Gylberde; born May 24, 1544 Colchester, Essex, England; † December 10, 1603 in London or Colchester ) was an English physician and physicist as one of the pioneers of modern scientific research, especially in the field of electricity.
Life and work
After completing his medical studies in Cambridge William Gilbert settled about 1573 as a doctor in London. He became a member of the Royal College of Physicians, a self-governing body of physicians in London. In 1600, he became President of the Royal College. In 1601 he obtained the post of court physician of Queen Elizabeth I, after whose death at the court of King James I. Gilbert was never married.
Gilbert was the first researcher who studied with carefully planned experiments and systematically the properties of magnetic ores. He also refuted some legends that had formed around magnetic phenomena - such as that garlic can demagnetize a magnet.
With his study of vis electrica ( comes from him and the use of this word ), he headed the teaching of electricity. He distinguished clearly between magnetism and static electricity first, examined the electrical charge at many substances (not only at the namensgebendem Bernstein).
While some of his contemporaries thought that the tip of the compass needle will be attracted to the polar star, he showed convincingly that the Earth must be considered collectively as a single magnet with two poles. This he also concluded from the discovered by Georg Hartmann and published by Robert Norman inclination of the magnetic needles. The key, however, were his own experiments with a spherical magnet, which he called " terrella " (Latin "little Earth ").
His major work De magnets, Magnetisque Corporibus, et de Magno magnets Tellure ( On the Magnet, Magnetic body and the large magnet Earth ) appeared in 1600 and is a broad overview of his research on magnetism and phenomena of electricity.
This includes his belief that the earth's magnetism directly to the rotary movement ( he was a supporter of the Copernican theory ) together hanging the earth. After his presentation of magnetism was the " soul " of the earth - from which he developed a whole "magnetic philosophy." Gilbert's contemporaries appreciated his performance as a physicist high; Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei about were very interested in his remarks to the rotational motion of the Earth. He represented even the view that the planet would be held by a kind of magnetic force in their orbits.
Gilbert put forth the first modern electric meter, which he described as " versorium ". It was by his own account of a three or four fingers long metal that was movable set to a sharp point.
A collection of unfinished writings Gilbert was published by his half- brother under the title De Mundo Nostro Sublunari Philosophia Nova ( New Philosophy of our sublunary world) in 1651. She left not feel like his most important work, which has been shown to be crucial to the scientific research of future generations by far.
According to him, the Gilbert was named a cgs unit for magnetic tension. The moon crater Gilbert ( crater) is named after him and the geologist Grove Karl Gilbert.
Works
- Tractatus, sive de Physiologia nova magnets, magneticisque corporibus et de magno magnets Tellure. Sex libris comprehensus, 1600 ( digitized: Output Stettin / Rostock 1628, Stettin edition 1633)
- English translation of his main work: On the magnet, magnetic bodies tick so, and on the great magnet the earth, Translator: Silvanus Phillips Thompson, Chiswick Press, London, 1900 (online at Project Gutenberg ).