Gilbert is a scientist. William Gilbert and his research on electrical and magnetic phenomena

Born May 24, 1544 in Colchester, Essex. He studied medicine at Cambridge, practiced medicine in London, where he became president of the Royal College of Medicine, and was court physician to Elizabeth I and James I.

In 1600 he published an essay On the magnet, magnetic bodies and a large magnet - Earth

e (De magnete, magneticisque corporibus, et magno magnete tellure), in which he described the results of his 18 years of research on magnetic and electrical phenomena and put forward the first theories of electricity and magnetism. Hilbert, in particular, established that any magnet has two poles, while the same

th poles repel, and opposite poles attract; discovered that iron objects under the influence of a magnet acquire magnetic properties (induction); showed an increase in the strength of the magnet with careful surface treatment. Studying the magnetic properties of a magnetized iron ball, he showed that it acts

It hits the compass needle in the same way as the Earth, and came to the conclusion that the latter is a giant magnet. He suggested that the magnetic poles of the Earth coincide with the geographic ones.

Thanks to Hilbert, the science of electricity was enriched with new discoveries, accurate observations, and instruments. With the help of your

"versor" (the first electroscope) Gilbert showed that not only rubbed amber, but also diamond, sapphire, crystal, glass and other substances, which he called "electric" (from the Greek "amber" - electron) have the ability to attract small objects , for the first time introducing this term into science. Gilbert

discovered the phenomenon of leakage of electricity in a humid atmosphere, its destruction in a flame, the screening effect on the electric charges of paper, fabric or metals, the insulating properties of some materials.

Gilbert was the first in England to support the heliocentric doctrine of Copernicus and the conclusion of George

In the XVI - XVII centuries. with the development of trade in Europe, the experimental method of scientific research is becoming more widespread, one of the founders of which is rightfully called Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). It is in his notebook that significant words can be found: "Do not listen to the teachings of those thinkers whose arguments are not confirmed by experience." The previously mentioned Neapolitan Giovan Battista Porta (1538-1615) in his work "Natural Magic" emphasizes that he tried to verify all the facts he read from the writings of ancient scientists and travelers with his own experience "day and night, at great cost."

The experimental method of research dealt a noticeable blow to mysticism and various kinds of fiction and prejudice.

A significant turning point in the ideas about electrical and magnetic phenomena occurred at the very beginning of the 17th century, when the fundamental scientific work of the prominent English scientist William Gilbert (1554-1603) was published on the magnet, magnetic bodies and the large magnet - the Earth "(1600 G.). Being a follower of the experimental method in natural science. W. Hilbert conducted more than 600 skillful experiments that revealed to him the secrets of the "hidden causes of various phenomena."

Unlike many of his predecessors, Gilbert believed that the reason for the action on the magnetic needle is the magnetism of the Earth, which is a large magnet. He based his conclusions on an original experiment that he had carried out for the first time.

He made a small ball from magnetic iron ore - “a small Earth - terella” and proved that the magnetic needle takes on the surface of this “terellma” the same positions that it takes in the field of terrestrial magnetism. He established the possibility of magnetizing iron by means of terrestrial magnetism.

Investigating magnetism, Hilbert also took up the study of electrical phenomena. He proved that not only amber has electrical properties, but also many other bodies - diamond, sulfur, resin, rock crystal, which become electrified when they are rubbed. These bodies he called "electric", in accordance with the Greek name for amber (electron).

But Hilbert unsuccessfully tried to electrify metals without isolating them. Therefore, he came to the erroneous conclusion that it is impossible to electrify metals by friction. This conclusion of Hilbert was convincingly refuted two centuries later by the outstanding Russian electrical engineer Academician V. V. Petrov.

V. Gilbert correctly established that the "degree of electrical force" is different, that moisture reduces the intensity of the electrization of bodies through rubbing.

Comparing magnetic and electrical phenomena, Gilbert argued that they are of a different nature: for example, "electric force" comes only from friction, while magnetic force constantly acts on iron, a magnet lifts bodies of considerable gravity, electricity only light bodies. This erroneous conclusion of Hilbert lasted in science for more than 200 years.

Trying to explain the mechanism of the action of a magnet on iron, as well as the ability of electrified bodies to attract other light bodies, Gilbert considered magnetism as a special “force of an animated being”, and electrical phenomena, as “outflows” of the finest liquid, which, due to friction, “poured out of the body” and directly acts to another attracted body.

Gilbert's ideas about electrical "attraction" were more correct than those of many contemporary researchers. According to them, during friction, a “fine liquid” is released from the body, which repels the air adjacent to the object: the more distant layers of air surrounding the body resist the “outflows” and return them, together with light bodies, back to the electrified body.

For many centuries, magnetic phenomena were explained by the action of a special magnetic fluid, and as will be shown below, Hilbert's fundamental work withstood during the 17th century. several editions, it was a reference book for many naturalists in different countries of Europe and played a huge role in the development of the theory of electricity and magnetism.

Veselovsky O. N. Shneiberg A. Ya "Essays on the history of electrical engineering"

The ancients knew nothing about electricity and magnetism. Of course, they knew the property of amber (in ancient Greek “electron”): rubbing amber in the dark, you can see bluish sparks. That's all. In 1269, Pierre Peregrine wrote a book about the magnet, which for the first time speaks about the poles of a magnet, about the attraction of opposite poles and the repulsion of the same poles, about the manufacture of artificial magnets by rubbing iron with a natural magnet, about the penetration of magnetic forces through glass and water, about the compass. The founder science of electricity and magnetism is William Gilbert. He was born in 1540 in Colchester (England). Immediately after school, he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, where he became a bachelor in two years, a master in four years, and a doctor of medicine in five years. Gradually, he reaches the pinnacle of a medical career at that time - he becomes the life physician of Queen Elizabeth.
Gilbert just wrote his scientific work on magnetism, because a crushed magnet was considered a medicine in the Middle Ages. At the same time, sawing the magnet, he was convinced that the parts of the magnet also have two poles, and it is impossible to get a magnet with one pole. Having made a ball (“little Earth”) from magnetite, Gilbert noticed that this ball strongly resembles the Earth in magnetic properties. It turned out to have north and south magnetic poles, an equator, isolines, and magnetic inclination. This allowed Gilbert to call the Earth a "big magnet". Based on this, he explained the deviation of the magnetic needle.
Gilbert discovered that when a magnet is heated above a certain temperature, its magnetic properties disappear. Subsequently, this phenomenon was investigated by Pierre Curie and named the Curie point. Hilbert discovered the screening action of iron. He expressed the brilliant idea that the action of a magnet spreads like light.
In the field of electricity, Gilbert invented the electroscope, a device for detecting charge. With his help, he showed that not only amber, but also other minerals have the ability to attract light bodies: diamond, sapphire, amethyst, glass, shale, etc. He called these materials electrical (i.e. similar to amber). That's where the word "electricity" came from!
In 1600, Gilbert published the book “On the magnet, magnetic bodies and on the large magnet - the Earth”. For the first time in the history of printing, Gilbert puts his name ahead of the title of the book, emphasizing his merits. Perhaps his most significant merit was that for the first time in history, long before F. Bacon, he proclaimed experience as the criterion of truth, and checked all the provisions of his book in the process of specially designed experiments.
Hilbert did and discovered a lot, but could explain almost nothing - all his reasoning is naive. For example, he explained the nature of magnetism by the presence of a “soul” in a magnet.
It seems very important in Hilbert's teaching that he was the first to distinguish electrical phenomena from magnetic ones, which since then have been studied separately.
After Hilbert, electrical and magnetic phenomena were studied very slowly; nothing new appeared over the next 100 years. And only in the XVIII century. breakthrough in this area. William Gilbert died in 1603.

(1603-11-30 ) (59 years old)

Biography

Gilbert's family was very famous in the area: his father was an official, and the family itself had a fairly long pedigree. After graduating from a local school, William was sent to Cambridge in 1558. Very little is known about his life prior to his scientific career. There is a version that he also studied at Oxford, although there is no documentary evidence for this. In 1560 he received a bachelor's degree, and in 1564 a master's degree in philosophy. In 1569 he becomes a doctor of medicine.

After completing his studies, Gilbert embarks on a journey through Europe, which lasted several years, after which he settled in London. There, in 1573, he became a member of the Royal College of Medicine.

Scientific activity

In 1600 he published the book " De magnete, magneticisque corparibus, etc. ”, which describes his experiments on magnets and the electrical properties of bodies, divided bodies into electrified by friction and non-electrified, thereby noticing the effect of air humidity on the electrical attraction of light bodies.

Hilbert created the first theory of magnetic phenomena. He found that any magnets have two poles, while opposite poles attract and like poles repel. Conducting an experiment with an iron ball that interacted with a magnetic needle, he first suggested that the Earth is a giant magnet. He also proposed the idea that the Earth's magnetic poles might coincide with the geographic poles of the planet.

Hilbert also explored electrical phenomena, pioneering the use of the term. He noticed that many bodies, like amber, after rubbing, can attract small objects, and in honor of this substance he called such phenomena electrical (from lat. electricus- "amber").

Memory

In 1964, the International Astronomical Union named a crater on the visible side of the Moon after Hilbert. Gilbert (symbol: Gb, Gi) is a unit of measurement of the magnetomotive force in the CGS system. Named after William Gilbert.

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Notes

Literature

Gilbert W. About the magnet, magnetic bodies and the big magnet - the Earth. M., 1956
Edgar Zilsel, "The Origin of William Gilbert's Scientific Method", Journal of the History of Ideas 2:1-32, 1941
Bochenski, Leslie"A Short History of Lunar Cartography" (April 1996) University of Illinois Astronomical Society

An excerpt characterizing Gilbert, William

– Why do you know?
- I know. This is not good, my friend.
“And if I want ...” said Natasha.
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- And if I want ...
Natasha, I'm serious...
Natasha didn’t let her finish, pulled the countess’s big hand to her and kissed her from above, then on the palm, then turned again and began to kiss her on the bone of the upper joint of the finger, then in the gap, then again on the bone, saying in a whisper: “January, February , March April May".
- Speak, mother, why are you silent? Speak, - she said, looking back at her mother, who looked at her daughter with a tender look and because of this contemplation, it seemed that she forgot everything she wanted to say.
“That won’t do, my soul. Not everyone will understand your childhood connection, and seeing him so close to you can harm you in the eyes of other young people who travel to us, and, most importantly, torment him in vain. He may have found himself a party of his own, rich; and now he's going crazy.
- Coming down? Natasha repeated.
- I'll tell you about myself. I had one cousin...
- I know - Kirilla Matveich, but he is an old man?
“There was not always an old man. But here's the thing, Natasha, I'll talk to Borey. He doesn't have to travel so often...
“Why not, if he wants to?”
“Because I know it won’t end.”
- Why do you know? No, mom, you don't tell him. What nonsense! - Natasha said in the tone of a person from whom they want to take away his property.
- Well, I won’t get married, so let him go, if he’s having fun and I’m having fun. Natasha looked at her mother smiling.
“Not married, but like this,” she repeated.
- How is it, my friend?
- Yes, it is. Well, it’s very necessary that I won’t get married, but ... so.
“So, so,” repeated the countess, and, shaking with her whole body, she laughed a kind, unexpected old woman’s laugh.
- Stop laughing, stop it, - Natasha shouted, - you are shaking the whole bed. You look terribly like me, the same laughter ... Wait a minute ... - She grabbed both hands of the countess, kissed the bone of the little finger on one - June, and continued to kiss July, August on the other hand. - Mom, is he very in love? How about your eyes? Were you so in love? And very nice, very, very nice! Only not quite to my taste - it is narrow, like a dining room clock ... Don't you understand? ... Narrow, you know, gray, light ...
– What are you lying about! said the Countess.
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“Countess,” came the voice of the count from behind the door. - Are you awake? - Natasha jumped up barefoot, grabbed her shoes in her hands and ran into her room.
She couldn't sleep for a long time. She kept thinking about the fact that no one can understand everything that she understands and what is in her.
"Sonya?" she thought, looking at the sleeping, curled-up kitty with her huge braid. “No, where is she! She is virtuous. She fell in love with Nikolenka and doesn't want to know anything else. Mom doesn't understand. It's amazing how smart I am and how ... she's sweet," she continued, speaking to herself in the third person and imagining that some very smart, smartest and best man was talking about her ... "Everything, everything is in her , - continued this man, - she is unusually smart, sweet and then good, unusually good, dexterous - she swims, she rides excellently, and her voice! You can say, an amazing voice! She sang her favorite musical phrase from the Kherubinian opera, threw herself on the bed, laughed at the joyful thought that she was about to fall asleep, shouted to Dunyasha to put out the candle, and before Dunyasha had time to leave the room, she had already passed into another, even happier world of dreams. , where everything was just as easy and beautiful as in reality, but it was only better because it was different.

Gilbert William (physicist) Gilbert William (physicist)

Gilbert (Gilbert) William (1544-1603), English physicist and physician. In his work "On the Magnet, Magnetic Bodies, and the Great Magnet - the Earth" (1600), he was the first to consistently consider magnetic and many electrical phenomena.
* * *
Gilbert (Gilbert, Gylberde) William, English physician and naturalist, founder of the doctrine of electricity and magnetism.
William Gilbert was born the son of a Chief Justice and City Councilman of Colchester, Essex. In this city, he graduated from a classical school and in May 1558 entered St. John's College, Cambridge. Later, his studies continued at Oxford. In 1560 he received a bachelor's degree, and after 4 years he became a "master of arts." By that time, his choice had already been determined: he seriously took up the study of medicine, in 1569 he received a doctorate in medicine, was elected a senior member of the learned society of St. John's College in Cambridge.
Hilbert's biographers write that at about the same time "... traveled across the Continent, where he was probably awarded the degree of Doctor of Physics, since he does not seem to have received it either at Oxford or Cambridge."
In the 1560s, Gilbert, both on the Continent and in England, "practiced as a physician with great success and approval." In 1573 he was elected a member of the Royal College of Physicians, where he was subsequently entrusted with many important posts - inspector, treasurer, adviser and (since 1600) president of the college. Gilbert's success as a healer was so significant that Queen Elizabeth Tudor (cm. ELIZABETH I Tudor) made him her life doctor. The Queen was also keenly interested in his scientific studies and even visited his laboratory, where Hilbert demonstrated some experiments to her.
In the house and in the laboratory of Hilbert, who, according to the recollections of people who knew him, was a cheerful, sociable and hospitable person, his numerous colleagues and friends often gathered. Among them were sailors who told him about the observations on the compass during their round-the-world voyages. This allowed Hilbert to collect a wealth of material on the declinations of the magnetic needle, which was included in his famous book.
At first, Hilbert's scientific interests were in chemistry (probably in connection with his medical practice), and then in astronomy. He studied almost all available literature on the motion of the planets, and was the most active supporter and propagandist of the ideas of Copernicus in England. (cm. Copernicus Nicholas) and J. Bruno (cm. BRUNO Giordano).
After the death of Elizabeth Tudor in 1603, Gilbert was left as a physician under the new king James I. (cm. JAKOV I Stuart (1566-1625)), but did not stay in this position for a year. In 1603 William Gilbert died of the plague and was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Colchester.
Gilbert, who had no heirs, bequeathed his entire library, all the instruments and collection of minerals to the college, but, unfortunately, all this perished in 1666 during the great fire of London.
Of course, Hilbert's main contribution to science is associated with his work on magnetism and electricity. Moreover, the very emergence of these most important branches of physics in modern times should rightly be associated with Hilbert.
Gilbert - and this is his special merit - was the first, even before Francis Bacon (cm. BACON Francis (philosopher), who is often called the progenitor of the experimental method in science, purposefully and consciously came from experience in the study of magnetic and electrical phenomena.
The main result of his research was the work "On the magnet, magnetic bodies and the large magnet - the Earth." This book describes more than 600 experiments done by Hilbert and sets out the conclusions to which they lead.
Gilbert established that a magnet always has two inseparable poles: if the magnet is cut into two parts, then each of the halves again has a pair of poles. The poles that Hilbert called of the same name repel each other, while the other poles, which are of opposite names, attract.
Gilbert discovered the phenomenon of magnetic induction: a bar of iron located near a magnet acquires magnetic properties itself. As far as natural magnets are concerned, the attraction of iron objects to them can be increased by using the proper iron fittings. From the action of a magnet, one can partially block oneself with iron partitions, but immersion in water does not noticeably affect the attraction to them. Hilbert even remarked that hitting the magnets might weaken their effect.
Gilbert not only experimented with magnets, he set himself a task, for the solution of which, as it turned out, even half a millennium was not enough: why does the Earth's magnetism exist at all?
The answer he offered was again based on experiments. A permanent magnet was made, called Gilbert Terella (i.e., a small model of the Earth), which had the shape of a ball, and Gilbert, using a magnetic needle placed over various parts of its surface, studied the magnetic field created by it. It turned out to be very similar to what is above the Earth. At the equator, that is, at equal distances from the poles, the arrows of the magnet were located horizontally, that is, parallel to the surface of the ball, and the closer to the poles, the more the arrows tilted, taking a vertical position above the poles.
Hilbert's idea that the Earth is a large permanent magnet has not stood the test of time. Much later, in the 19th century, it was found that at high temperatures (and they are very high in the bowels of the Earth), a permanent magnet demagnetizes. The problem of the magnetism of the Earth, other planets, as well as other celestial bodies - one of the oldest problems of classical natural science - confronted naturalists with new acuteness. But the significance and role of Hilbert's works remain enduring.
Magnets, if only because of the applied purposes of navigation, were already somewhat interested even before Gilbert, but in the study of electricity, he was certainly and unconditionally the first. And here he has important achievements. Even the first device is a prototype of the electroscope (cm. ELECTROSCOPE)(he called it "versor") - was invented by him. Gilbert found that electrization (also his term) occurs when rubbing not only amber (this was noticed by the ancient Greeks), but also many bodies of a different composition, including glass. (It can be noted that until the middle of the 18th century electrization by friction remained the main, if not the only, tool for the study of electrical phenomena.)
Hilbert even managed to experimentally detect such subtle effects as the effect of a flame on charged bodies. He even, far ahead of his time, connected heating with the thermal motion of the particles of bodies.
A proper assessment of Hilbert's visionary ideas, both in the field of physics and the methodology of science, appeared only now, three hundred, even four hundred years after the publication of his brilliant works.

encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

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