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Hans Christian Ørsted
Physicist

Hans Christian Ørsted

Famoose for

Discovering that an electric current produces a magnetic field.

Electricity and magnetism · Piezometer

Born
14 August 1777
Birthplace
Rudkøbing
Died
9 March 1851

More people

Marie CurieDiscovering polonium and radium.Albert EinsteinDeveloping the theory of relativity.Charles DarwinExplaining evolution through natural selection.

Hans Christian Ørsted

Hans Christian Ørsted was a Danish physicist and chemist whose 1820 discovery connected electricity and magnetism.

Early life

Education

Developed an interest in science in his father’s pharmacy in Rudkøbing and earned a doctorate at Copenhagen in 1799.

Career

  1. 1801–1804

    European travel

    Visited scientific centres and met Johann Wilhelm Ritter.

  2. 1806

    Copenhagen professor

    Took up a university professorship.

  3. 1820

    Electromagnetism

    Showed that a current deflects a compass needle.

Contributions

Electricity and magnetism

Demonstrated the magnetic effect of an electric current.

Piezometer

Designed an instrument for measuring liquid compressibility.

Beyond research

Literary circle

Was a friend of Hans Christian Andersen and took an interest in philosophy and aesthetics.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Artistic portrait; Christian Albrecht Jensen. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.