Contents
James Clerk Maxwell
Uniting electricity, magnetism and light in one theory.
Saturn’s rings · Colour photography
- Born
- 13 June 1831
- Birthplace
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Died
- 5 November 1879
More people
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell was a Scottish physicist whose equations laid foundations for radio, electrical engineering and modern physics.
Early life
Glenlair
Grew up on his family’s rural estate in southwest Scotland.
Education
Studied in Edinburgh and at Cambridge, graduating in mathematics in 1854.
Career
- 1856
Aberdeen
Became professor of natural philosophy at Marischal College.
- 1860–1865
King’s College London
Developed his theory of electromagnetic fields.
- 1871
Cambridge
Became the first Cavendish Professor and helped establish the laboratory.
Contributions
Saturn’s rings
Showed that stable rings must consist of many separate particles.
Colour photography
Demonstrated colour reproduction through three photographic filters.
Electromagnetic field
Published the theory identifying light as an electromagnetic wave.
Beyond the lab
Partnership
Married Katherine Mary Dewar, who assisted with experimental work.
Writing
Wrote poetry alongside his scientific publications.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
