![]() Whether completely accidental or at least somewhat expected, Oersted was intrigued by his observation. Certainly Oersted was well prepared to observe such an effect, with the compass needle and the battery (or “galvanic apparatus,” as he called it) on hand. ![]() Some people have suggested that this was a totally accidental discovery, but accounts differ on whether the demonstration was designed to look for a connection between electricity and magnetism, or was intended to demonstrate something else entirely. But it was clear to Oersted that something significant was happening. The compass needle moved only slightly, so slightly that the audience didn’t even notice. He seems to have believed that electricity and magnetism were forces radiated by all substances, and these forces might somehow interfere with each other.ĭuring a lecture demonstration, on April 21, 1820, while setting up his apparatus, Oersted noticed that when he turned on an electric current by connecting the wire to both ends of the battery, a compass needle held nearby deflected away from magnetic north, where it normally pointed. Oersted had previously noted a similarity between thermal radiation and light, though he did not determine that both are electromagnetic waves. For instance, it had long been known that a compass, when struck by lightning, could reverse polarity. At the time, although most scientists thought electricity and magnetism were not related, there were some reasons to think there might be a connection. Oersted made the discovery for which he is famous in 1820. He investigated a variety of problems in physics, including the compressibility of water and the use of electric currents to explode mines. His first scientific paper was on electrical and chemical forces. ![]() He also continued his own research in physics and other areas of science. Soon his lectures became popular, and he was given an appointment in 1806 at the University of Copenhagen, where he expanded the physics and chemistry program and established new laboratories. Instead he began giving lectures privately, charging admission. Returning to Copenhagen in 1803, Oersted sought a university position teaching physics, but didn’t immediately get one.
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