By Aadyaa Keyal
Introduction
Electricity is a necessity today! No one in today’s world can live without it. With the heat skyrocketing and temperatures soaring our air conditioners,fans and appliances like the fridge,cooler and so on are always operating. Words linked to electricity are voltage,current and resistance which are often used in everyday life. Did you know that a law which established this relationship was created almost two whole centuries ago? Yes,you heard that! Let’s read about Simon Ohm,the discoverer of Ohm’s Law.
Early Life
Georg Simon Ohm was born on March 16th in the year 1789 and was a German physicist and mathematician who is best known for discovering Ohm’s law, which describes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance in electrical circuits.
From a humble background he was born into a family of many children. Unfortunately, most of them did not survive,leaving only him and his brother. His father, a locksmith, struggled financially to educate his brother and him.
With great difficulty he was able to complete a Ph.D. from the University of Erlangen in 1811.
His father taught him various subjects. Ohm attended the Erlangen Gymnasium and later the University of Erlangen in 1805, showing exceptional math skills. However, he didn’t focus on his studies, which displeased his father, leading him to drop out after three semesters. Ohm then moved to Switzerland, where he became a math teacher.
The Initial Discovery
In 1825, Georg Ohm published his initial research on the relationship between wire length and electromagnetic force, but it was met with little enthusiasm. Undeterred, Ohm continued his work, releasing two additional papers in 1826. His groundbreaking book, Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch bearbeitet (1827; The Galvanic Circuit Investigated Mathematically) published in 1827, fully articulated his theory of electricity and introduced Ohm’s Law, revolutionizing the field of electrical science.
Aim of his work
Georg Ohm’s work focused on current electricity, building upon Alessandro Volta’s invention of the battery. Despite limited financial resources and primitive equipment, Ohm conducted extensive research at the Jesuit college over nine years. He meticulously crafted his own metal wires of consistent quality and rigorously ensured accuracy in every detail. His dedication culminated in a groundbreaking discovery in 1827: a straightforward relationship between electrical resistance, current, and voltage, now known as Ohm’s Law.
The Aftermath of his discovery
Unfortunately, when Ohm published his findings in 1827, his ideas were dismissed by his colleagues. Ohm was forced to resign from his high-school teaching position and he lived in poverty and shame until he accepted a position at Nuremberg in 1833 and although this gave him the title of professor, it was still not the university post for which he had strived all his life. Finally his work began to be recognized; in 1841 he was awarded the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London and was made a foreign member a year later. In 1852 Ohm became professor of experimental physics in the university of Munich, where he later died.
Possible Reasons for less recognition
This renowned scientist, struggled for years to gain recognition.The reasons for this delay are complex and multifaceted.Ohm’s introverted nature and mathematical approach likely contributed.He also clashed with influential figures, including Johannes Schultz and Georg Pohl.Ohm’s research extended beyond electricity, including physiological acoustics.
His work on combination tones sparked controversy with physicist August Seebeck.
Seebeck disproved Ohm’s hypothesis, forcing Ohm to acknowledge his mistake.
Conclusion
Despite setbacks, Ohm’s legacy as a pioneering scientist endures.George Ohm’s legacy is honored in electrical science terminology.
His groundbreaking work, Ohm’s Law, describes current and voltage proportionality.
First published in “Die galvanische Kette,” it remains fundamental.The law states that current and voltage are directly proportional in a resistor.The SI unit of resistance, the ohm, bears his esteemed name.
So the next time you study about electricity or practice the Ohm’s Law don’t forget to think about this influential but less appreciated physicist who discovered an important topic still used in physics even today!
Sources
BrainBox 
Leave a comment