JAMES MAXWELL

James Clerk Maxwell was a remarkable physicist and mathematician of the 19th century. He was born in Edinburgh on November 13, 1831.

When Maxwell was a little boy, he was fond of making things with his own hands.

At school Maxwell became interested in mathematics and when he was 14, he won a mathematical medal. After school Maxwell studied at the University of Edinburgh. While studying he read many books, made chemical, magnetic and other experiments and attended meetings of the Royal Society. Two of his papers were read before the Society and published in the Transactions. In 1850 Maxwell went to the University of Cambridge. He studied hard and joined in social and intellectual activities at the University. In 1854 he got the degree and for two years he stayed at Trinity College where he studied, lectured and did some experiments on optics.

In 1856 he became a professor of natural philosophy at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and in 1860 professor 102 of physics arid astronomy at King's College in London. He remained there for five years. Those five years were the most productive for Maxwell. He continued his work on gases and the theory of electricity.

One of Maxwell's greatest works was Оn the Physical Lines of Force which was published in London.

Maxwell asserted the identity of the two phenomena-electric disturbances and light.

After 20 years of thought and experiments he published his famous Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism.

In 1871 he was appointed professor of experimental physics in Cambridge.

In 1876 his classic Matter and Motion appeared. Maxwell died on November 5, 1879. His contribution to the kinetic theory of gases, the theory of heat, dynamics, and the mathematical theory of electricity are the best monuments to his great genius.

kinetic theory кинетическая теория

King's College название одного из колледжей Лондонского университета

the Royal Society Королевское научное общество (Англия)

Transactions название журнала «Труды», «Протоколы» (научного общества)

Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism «Трактат по электричеству и магнетизму»

Trinity College название одного из колледжей Кэмбриджского университета