FARADAY, MICHAEL. .- THE ORIGIN OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY OF LIGHT.

Experimental Researches in Electricity. - Twenty-eight Series. § 36. On the Lines of Magnetic Force; their definite character; and their distribution within a Magnet and through Space. (Sections 3070-3176). Recieved October 22, - Read November 27 and December 11, 1851.

(London, Richard Taylor and William Francis, 1852). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1852 - Part I. Pp. 25-56, textillustr. Clean and fine.

First appearance of a historical paper in electromagnetical theory. Faraday in this paper defines his key concept "lines of force" and summarizes in what connections he used it and he shows how it explains the pehenomena of magnetism and electricity. His insistance of the importence of the electromagnetic fields of force was the historical starting point of the electrical side of modern theories of field physics. Maxwell later translated these ideas into mathematical form, and developed them into his theory of electromagnetic waves.
Especially notable in this paper is: As all space is permeated by lines of force, Faraday suggests that light and radiant heat might be tranverse vibrations propagated along these lines of force. In this way he proposed to "dismiss the aether" and to replace it by lines of force between centres, the centres together with their lines of force constituting the particles of material substance. If the existance of a luminiferous aether were to be admitted he suggests that it might be the vehicle of magnetic force "for it is not at all unlikely that if there be an aether, it should have other uses than simply the conveyance of radiations" (section 3075 in this paper offered). This sentece may be regarded as THE ORIGIN OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY OF LIGHT (Whittaker in: A History of the theories of the Aether and Electricity, I: pp. 194-95).

From 1831 to 1852 Michael Faraday published his "Experimental Researches in Electricity" in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. These papers contain not only an impressive series of experimental discoveries, but also a collection of heterodox theoretical concepts on the nature of these phenomena expressed in terms of lines of forces and fields. He published 30 papers in all under this general title.They represents Faraday's most importent work, are classics in both chemistry and physics and are the experimental foundations for Maxwell's electro-magnetic theory of light, using Faraday's concepts of lines of force or tubes of magnetic and electrical forces. His many experiments on the effects of electricity and magnetism presented in these papers lead to the fundamental discoveries of 'induced electricity' (the Farday current), the electronic state of matter, the identity of electricity from different sources, equivalents in electro-chemical decomposition, electrostatic induction, hydro-electricity, diamagnetism, relation of gravity to electricity, atmospheric magnetism and many other.

"Among experimental philosophers Faraday holds by universal consent the foremost place. The memoirs in which his discoveries are enshrined will never ceaseto be read with admiration and delight; and future generations will preserve with an affection not less enduring the personal records and familiar letters, which recall the memory of his humble and unselfish spirit."(Edmund Whittaker in A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity).

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