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James Clerk Maxwell

10 questions · Science

James Clerk Maxwell, born in Scotland in 1831, was a quiet thinker whose work changed the world as profoundly as almost any other: even if his name is less known than Newton's or Einstein's. He achieved one of the greatest unifications in physics. Until then, electricity, magnetism and light were regarded as separate phenomena. Maxwell captured them in four elegant equations (Maxwell's equations) and showed that electricity and magnetism are two sides of the same thing, the electromagnetic force. From his equations followed something astonishing: light itself is an electromagnetic wave. More than that: he predicted the existence of further, invisible electromagnetic waves. A few decades later they were detected as radio waves and ushered in the age of radio, radar and mobile communication. Without Maxwell, no mobile phone and no Wi-Fi. Maxwell also worked on the physics of gases and produced the first durable colour photograph in history in 1861. Einstein called Maxwell's work the most profound change in physics since Newton. He died young, in 1879: the year Einstein was born.

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Which country was James Clerk Maxwell from?

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Scotland

Born in 1831.

💡 Did you know? The Scot Maxwell is regarded by many physicists as the third greatest after Newton and Einstein.

With what did the Scottish physicist unite electricity, magnetism and light in 1865?

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Maxwell's equations

Four equations of electrodynamics.

💡 Did you know? Maxwell's four equations unite electricity, magnetism and light in a single theory.

What is light according to Maxwell?

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electromagnetic wave

It obeys the same laws as electricity and magnetism.

💡 Did you know? Maxwell realised that light itself is an electromagnetic wave: one of the greatest unifications in physics.

Which invisible waves did James Clerk Maxwell predict?

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radio waves

The basis of radio, radar and mobile networks.

💡 Did you know? Maxwell predicted radio waves theoretically: only decades later were they demonstrated experimentally.

What did Maxwell achieve first in 1861?

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first colour photograph

A milestone of photography.

💡 Did you know? Maxwell created the first durable colour photograph in 1861: from three exposures in red, green and blue.

Whose field ideas did Maxwell build on?

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Faraday

He cast Faraday's intuition into mathematics.

💡 Did you know? Maxwell cast Faraday's intuitive idea of „field lines“ into exact mathematical equations.

James Clerk Maxwell

Foto: digitized from an engraving by G. J. Stodart from a photograph by Fergus of Greenock · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Which scientist is shown here?

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James Clerk Maxwell

James Clerk Maxwell was a Scottish physicist whose equations united electricity, magnetism and light.

💡 Did you know? His proof that light is an electromagnetic wave paved the way for radio, television and mobile phones.

In which year was James Clerk Maxwell born?

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1831

Born: 13 June 1831 in Edinburgh, Scotland

In which year did James Clerk Maxwell die?

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1879

Died: 5 November 1879 in Cambridge, aged 48

Where was James Clerk Maxwell born?

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Edinburgh, Scotland

Born: 13 June 1831 in Edinburgh, Scotland

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