The German scientist Heinrich Hertz was glorified by his experimental confirmation of the electromagnetic theory of light. A professor of physics at the universities of Karlsruhe and Bonn proved the existence of electromagnetic waves and conducted their research. The results of his experiments became the basis in the work on the creation of radio.
The teachers of Heinrich Rudolf Hertz were Gustav Kirchhoff and German von Helmholtz. The mentor called his pupil "The favorite of the gods." The physicist proved the coincidence of the speed of propagation of electromagnetic waves with light.
Road to vocation
The biography of the future scientist began in 1857. The child was born in the family of a lawyer on February 22 in Hamburg. Then, the boy’s brothers also worked in the banking sector. Henry was distinguished by curiosity and diligence. The surrounding people were struck by his phenomenal memory.
Hertz studied excellently. In the class he had no equal in quick wits. The student was carried away by the Arabic language and physics. The student loved reading the works of Homer and Dante. The teenager himself wrote poetry. Heinrich attended a school of crafts and arts to teach turning and drawing art.
The acquired skills were realized while working on experimental facilities. Heinrich made the first devices while studying at school. Parents dreamed that the son would continue the work of his father and become a lawyer. This completely suited Hertz himself. He went to get education in Dresden, continued in Munich.
Most of all the young man was interested in technology. Gradually strengthened the decision on an engineering career. During his studies, Hertz participated in the construction of one of the bridges. At this point, the future physicist did not think about doing science. But he soon realized that he was not interested in engineering either.
During the specialization, the student realized that he had chosen a scientific path. But he did not plan to become a narrow specialist, choosing a scientific work. The family supported him. In 1978, Hertz entered the physical department of the capital's university.
First discoveries
Ferdinand Helmholtz, the largest physicist of the era, turned his attention to the gifted student. After solving a very difficult task in electrodynamics, the professor became convinced of Henry's talent. Electrodynamics remained an absolutely unknown sphere. Theories for its study were used unproven in practice. No idea of the nature of magnetic and electric fields existed.
The mentor offered the student 9 months to complete the assignment. The student studied the question in the laboratory. The researcher showed the skill of the experimenter in full. He made the devices and debugged it himself. As a result, the problem was solved in 3 months. Hertz received an award for his work.
New experiments began in the summer of 1879. Henry, who decided to continue the experiments he had begun, began to induce rotating bodies. Started work on a doctoral dissertation. Hertz believed that he would conduct all the necessary research within a couple of months and protect the project during training. Research brilliantly culminated in a demonstration of excellent command of the experimental apparatus.
In 1880, a student with a doctorate received a diploma. Initially, he worked as an assistant with his mentor. After a couple of years, Helmholtz sent a student to Kiel University. There, Henry headed the Department of Theoretical Physics for three years. Later, the scientist moved to Karlsruhe, starting work in a professorship at the Higher Technical School.
The personal life of the scientist was arranged there. Elizabeth Doll became the chosen one of the physicist. Two children appeared in the family, the daughters Matilda and Joanna. Matilda Carmen became famous as a talented psychologist.
New experiences
After the wedding, the scientist was completely immersed in work. He moved from theory to practice. The professor was provided with an excellent laboratory. In it, he conducted experiments on the distribution of electric power, confirming the conclusions of Maxwell. The experiments were successful.
The scientist proved the existence of electromagnetic waves. The experiments carried out using a pair of induction coils made it possible to create both a high-frequency generator and a resonator. The device constructed by the physicist was called the emitter of electromagnetic waves or the Hertz vibrator and radio transmitter. The scientist also came up with the appropriate radio. The results were published in the work "On the rays of electric force" in late 1888.
The awards have been presented to the new triumph since 1889. Many European academies have chosen him as their corresponding member. The experimenter received a prestigious order at home. A decade later, the results of Hertz's experiments found practical application. The scientist himself did not recognize the importance of the radio waves he discovered. But the discovery was appreciated by Alexander Popov. He transferred the name of the great physicist first by radio in the spring of 1896.
Hertz moved to Bonn. At the university, he headed the department of physics. During the next experiment, the physicist traced the appearance of sparks in the apparatus. So the photo effect was discovered. A theoretically new phenomenon was substantiated by Albert Einstein, who received the Nobel Prize for this in 1921.
