Michael Faraday: A Great Physicist

Michael Faraday was a genius who changed the history of physics and chemistry. Without him, electric motors would not exist. What is interesting about him is that he was self-taught.

He is behind many really important discoveries in the fields of electrochemistry and electromagnetism. For example, he discovered benzene, a hydrocarbon molecule that makes up most of the plastic elements we use today.

Michael Faraday was a child of a poor family who worked hard to help his family. Later, thanks to his scientific advances, he was awarded the Order of the Order of the Order by Queen Victoria of Great Britain. But what made him a great scientist was his perseverance and passion for knowledge.

Michael Faraday: A humble child

Michael Faraday was born into a humble family on September 22, 1791, in what is now central London. His father was a shoemaker and his mother was a housewife.

Faraday failed to pronounce the letter r, and for this reason his teacher laughed at him and punished him. His mother could not bear this, and thought it better for the son not to go to school, working for his family. So he took the boy off the school bench. Michael Faraday’s story takes a turn when he began working at the age of 14 for George Riebau, a bookbinder and bookseller in London.

This work experience ignited a great intellectual interest in him. He started reading the books he sold really quickly. He spent seven years working and reading. At that time, he found works by Isaac Watts that filled him with enthusiasm, and read many scientific books that made him more interested in electronic phenomena.

A life dedicated to science

At the age of 19, Faraday joined the  City Philosophical Society, a group of young science-loving people. John Tatum was the leader of this club and he explained the principles of electricity, chemistry and physics in the late meetings of the group.

There, Faraday met Elmer Humphry Davy, a member of the Royal Institute, who gave Faraday free tickets to his conference.

The notes he wrote in those years were compiled into a 300-page book, which he later sent to Davy. Davy later lost his sight in the accident, and decided to hire Faraday as his secretary. He was later promoted to chemical assistant at this Royal Institute. Faraday was constantly the subject of mockery for Davy’s wife, but he never lost interest in the teachings of his mentor.

In 1815 Michael Faraday began to teach all that he had learned in those years. He also published his first chemistry work, wrote several articles, and spoke at conferences. By 1820, he had already built up quite a reputation for himself.

Faraday’s work is eternal

The director of a scientific journal called the  Annals of Philosophy  asked Faraday to write about many scientists who conducted experiments on electromagnetism. To do this,  Michael Faraday conducted these experiments, which led to his greatest insights. In particular, he noticed how electrical energy could be used as mechanical energy. 

In 1825, Faraday became the leader of the Royal Society, replacing his mentor Elmer Humphry Davy. That same year, he discovered benzene, which was the highlight of his entire scientific career. He later made other discoveries about the properties of metals and magnetism, and developed the famous Faraday law.

As director of the Royal Society, he began holding free conferences for young students. He also made his friends do the same. His goal was to reach people who did not have access to education. In 1832 he was awarded the title of Doctor of Civil Law by the University of Oxford. In 1839, he experienced a nervous breakdown, from which, however, he later recovered.

Michael Faraday officially retired in 1858,  and lived the rest of his life in a house donated by the Queen until his death in 1867.

One of the craters of the moon is named after him, to remind us how incredibly useful and relevant his progress has been.