Michael Faraday: A Life from Beginning to End

by Hourly History

Michael Faraday * * *Download for FREE on Kindle Unlimited + Free BONUS Inside!* * * Read On Your Computer, MAC, Smartphone, Kindle Reader, iPad, or Tablet. Michael Faraday is regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern physics. His work in the field of electromagnetism revolutionized society, leading to new avenues of study and developments of technology that would leave the world changed forever. Without Faraday’s discoveries, there would be no electronics or electrical power. There would be no technology as we recognize it, or at the very least those technologies would have taken much longer to arise, causing our time to look very different. Inside you will read about... ✓ A Blacksmith's Son ✓ From Bookbinder to Man of Science ✓ The Royal Institution ✓ Electricity ✓ Magnetism ✓ Famous Faraday And much more! This book tells the story of Michael Faraday’s life from birth to death and the remarkable discoveries he made during his lifetime.

Genres: Biography, History, Science, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Physics

106 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2017

About the author

At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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Reviews

[Udit Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hourly history again does a great job in conveying the ideas and the personality of Michael Faraday. Faraday helped in institutionalizing the whole concept of experiment led research. His immense curiosity towards unifying the theories of electromagnetism has reaped great benefits for modern world.

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"“The electrical field theory of Faraday and Maxwell represents probably the most profound transformation which has been experienced by the foundations of physics since Newton’s time.”

"—Albert Einstein"
***


Every Indian should know about life of Michael Faraday, not only because of excellence thereof in aspirations realised, but because he was a very vital evidence of something world outside India attempt to hide, which is, the caste systems outside India.

Michael Faraday was not born in British upper caste, and although he was discovered and encouraged by one of those in his education, the same man, his own erstwhile menyor and benefactor, vetoed admission of Michael Faraday to a prestigious association of scientists later when his name was proposed by other members thereof - because he was born low caste.

The difference being, everywhere else, castes are based on titles, property, race, creed and gender, while India alone has a caste system that's based on categorised classification of vocations, and within such a category Myers are equal in that marriages were arranged based chiefly on this consideration, vital to family lifestyle, regardless of financial considerations.

British caste system on the other hand kept higher castes at higher strata of every profession, lower caste Myers joining at bottom of every profession they aspired to, and a glass ceiling keeping them below for most part.

What's more, British not only kept this caste system in India while they governed it, but extended it to include others on lower rungs below the British - in that order, it was British at top, followed by Europeans, Anglo-Indians, Eurasians, church members of purely Indian stock or non-European ancestry, and finally, fellow abrahmics of non-church variety.

In British caste system as followed by British in india, Hindus came below all others, and here alone, castes were rearranged for purposes of British employment and socialisation, strictly as per British caste system, so that India's erstwhile rulers were at the top. Braahman were pushed below and persecuted, albeit not as much as by Portuguese rulers in goa, where they were massacred by hundreds, for being Braahman.
***


"Michael Faraday was self-educated but elevated his mind to the pinnacle of human thought. He re-imagined his world, seeing it in a new way and making connections which few had made before. He then set about trying to prove his theories correct. He lived in a time when social class was an almost unbreakable straight jacket. Not only was it difficult to transcend the class of your origins but many believed that it should not be done. Yet Faraday, through his intellect, was able to do just that. He began his life in a poor area of London as the son of a blacksmith. His notebooks were enough to see him employed at the Royal Institution and his work there to see him made a Fellow of the Royal Society and become a man whose views were respected at the highest levels of society."

Author seeks to hide the opposition faced by Michael Faraday due to this entrenched caste system of British society, not different from that of Europe, of Rome or Greece.
****

The puzzling title of the 6th chapter, "Quantitative over Qualitative", is based in a coomon misunderstanding of fundamental kind, shared by most people, about mathematics - unless they have gone beyond level of arithmetic in primary school, and comprehended Euclidean geometry, at the very least.

Mathematics is a science of thoughts and concepts, not quantities, as commonly misunderstood by most people who, in most cases, confuse mathematics with keeping accounts, and sometimes even after having a degree in engineering, ask a professional in mathematics if their job is solving problems set them by physicists.

Hint: those are the engineers who went into the field pushed by family for sake of ensuring a living, not because they could grasp - much less enjoy - anything of the knowledge or work.
****

"Michael Faraday was the son of a North Yorkshire-born blacksmith. Faraday grew up in poor surroundings in west London and received only the most perfunctory education. But he possessed an enquiring mind—one which needed to understand the way the world worked. This drove Faraday to experiment and test his theories constantly.

"He educated himself through reading to such a degree that he was able to secure employment in the vaunted Royal Institution, hired by one of the foremost men of science of the age. Once there, Faraday would rise to become one of the most famous scientists in history, his opinions sought by governments all over the world. He would achieve this fame despite his lowly origins and in a society that did not easily accept progression through the social hierarchy. This would have been made even more difficult by his devotion to a dissenter church which rejected the Anglican establishment along with all of its institutions.

"Faraday’s discoveries in the field of electricity and magnetism would open new theoretical fields of study and new avenues of technology that would transform human society across the globe."
****

"“I learned at that time some of my philosophy and set various things beside iron saucepans & pots afloat - for jugs bottles & many other things that I thought at first ought to sink floated & so many first steps to knowledge were gained.”

"—Michael Faraday in a letter recalling his boyhood"
***

"James Faraday came from a family that had achieved some modest business success in North Yorkshire. His brother, Richard, owned two houses and two mills in the town of Kirkby Stephen. James left the town to take up the profession of blacksmith in the village of Outhgill, about five miles to the south. He married Margaret Hastwell on June 11, 1786. Circumstances soon forced the family to relocate. The area in which Outhgill lay, the Eden Valley of what was then known as Westmorland, was rural and sparsely populated. James’ business relied on supplying shoes to the horses of coaches passing through. And in 1788 a drought meant a shortage of hay and a subsequent fall in the number of travelers using Outhgill as a rest stop for their horses.

"Subsequently, James and Margaret took their family to London. This decision was to mean that Michael Faraday would be born, and grow up, in the capital. It would have a pivotal effect on his life. The decision to move was not just an economic one. There also appears to have been a strong, spiritual motivation for James and Margaret which would have a profound effect on Michael Faraday. James was a member of the Sandemanian church. This church was founded in London by Robert Sandeman as a separate faith from the Anglican church. In fact, the Sandemanians were a splinter of a splinter, forming as a result of a schism in the Inghamite church established in Yorkshire by Bernard Ingham in the 1740s. James’ father had been a member of that church and had subsequently moved to the Sandemanian faith.

"James Faraday’s employer in London was a member of the Sandemanian church, which counted a number of families among its congregation. It may have been the joint lure of employment and spiritual community that made James’ decision to move to London. After all, this which would have been a significant distance to travel for a relatively poor family from the far north-west of England. For James Faraday’s son, religion would be an important factor throughout his life. And his parents’ decision to relocate allowed Michael to grow up surrounded by the industry, invention, and ideas of one of the world’s foremost cities as well as giving him the spiritual scaffolding that would become an integral part of his character.
***

"Jacob’s Mews was to be Michael Faraday’s childhood home with his parents remaining there until he was 18 years old. Michael attended school to learn the three Rs—reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic. While this took care of the most basic rudiments of education, Michael was inclined even as a child to learn from observation and experimentation. This was to be a major facet of his career in science. When a canal was built near his home and he saw the first coal barges traveling on it, it inspired him to try out various materials to see if they would float or sink. London at that time was expanding, but it was also significantly smaller than today. Michael lived on the outskirts of the city and so could see the technological developments that went with the urban expansion, as well as the natural world.

"On September 22, 1804, his 13th birthday, Faraday was given employment as an errand boy to George Ribeau, a bookseller, binder, and publisher. Faraday worked for Ribeau for a year before being formally apprenticed to him on October 7, 1805. During this time, Michael left the family home to move in with his new master at 2 Blandford Street. The apprenticeship was to last seven years and would not only teach Faraday the trade of bookbinding, as he took up the practice of reading, after hours, the books he was being taught to bind. In 1809, at the age of 18, Faraday was maintaining a Philosophical Miscellany which included scientific entries copied from such sources as the Encyclopedia Britannica. In these studies, Faraday would come across two books in particular that would shape his later life as a scientist.

"The first was The Improvement of the Mind by Isaac Watts. This book taught Faraday certain techniques which could be used in the gaining of knowledge, such as maintaining a notebook of experiments and thoughts (a habit Faraday would assiduously follow and which gave later generations valuable insights into his thoughts and theories). The other book was Conversations in Chemistry by Jane Marcet. It was from Marcet that Faraday would learn some fundamentals of chemistry. Faraday trusted in verifiable facts and challenged anything else. He found that Marcet’s assertions were verifiable through his own experiments, and her work became his anchor in the field."

And, until now, one didn't know her name, which amounts to it having been kept out of general knowledge!

British caste system, there.

"These two authors can be seen to have influenced Faraday into the adoption of the scientific method—namely thoroughly documenting experiments and the pursuit of verifiable truth. The emergence of the famous man of science can be seen in the enthusiasm of the young Faraday for these works.

"In 1810, Faraday discovered a series of lectures being delivered by a John Tatum at his home of 53 Dorset Street. There was an admission price of one shilling which Faraday was given by his brother, who was following in their father’s trade as a blacksmith. This would be the young Faraday’s first exposure to a scientific lecture. Previously his learning had all been in books followed by his own experiments to verify what he was reading. He met other keen students at Tatum’s lectures who would remain lifelong friends, including Benjamin Abbott. He would correspond with Abbott frequently and throughout his life. This correspondence and Abbott’s recollections all serve to illustrate Faraday’s early character and direction. Abbott recalled Faraday conducting his experiments in the kitchen of Jacob’s Mews and his first lectures from the end of that table."
****

"“I could trust a fact but always cross-examined an assertion.”

"—Michael Faraday"
***

"Faraday’s apprenticeship ended on October 6, 1812, and instead, he entered into the role of a journeyman for Henri De La Roche at 5 King Street. Faraday’s father, James, had died in 1810 and he decided to move in with his widowed mother.

"Now Michael’s interest in science was beginning to overshadow his interest in his chosen profession. At this time, he was attending the lectures of John Tatum. Faraday’s diaries record 13 such attendances between February 1810 and September 1811. Half of these lectures were on subjects relating to electricity.

"In 1812, George Ribeau shared some of Faraday’s notebooks with a customer, William Dance, who was the son of a proprietor of the Royal Institution. Dance was impressed by the mind presented to him on those pages and made Faraday a present of tickets to four lectures by Sir Humphry Davy, Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution. Thus Faraday had, through good fortune and diligent note-taking, been steered into the orbit of a man of science who would be a strong influence on his burgeoning scientific career.
***

"Faraday attended the Davy lectures from March to April 1812. He is described as making copious notes as Davy lectured on the definition of acidity. Davy made demonstrations to debunk the accepted view that acids all contained oxygen by producing the compound hydrochloric acid, which contained no oxygen. Faraday was well used to attending scientific lectures and no stranger to the field of chemistry. But what was most significant to the 20-year-old was the experiments. Faraday had long found a need to verify the opinions and theories of those scientists he had been reading about while apprenticed to George Ribeau and employed by Henri De La Roche. It was a fundamental part of his character. In Davy’s lectures, he saw a prominent scientific man disproving accepted theory through practical experimentation and demonstration.

"Faraday must have been inspired by seeing the Davy lectures. He had expressed to friends his dissatisfaction with his profession as a bookbinder, and his desire to find scientific employment. In one letter Faraday makes reference to a potential job which required him to have knowledge of mathematics and mechanics, which he did not have. He also wrote to Joseph Banks in 1812, seeking employment of a scientific nature and requesting any position no matter how menial. Faraday’s stated, however, that he received no answer.

"There is some hopelessness evident in Faraday’s letters of this period regarding his prospects for employment. But things were about to change. He was advised by his former master, Georges Ribeau, to write to Humphry Davy after Faraday had indicated that he would like to meet the great man. Ribeau encouraged Faraday to send his notebooks which contained his extensive lecture notes. Faraday followed his advice in December 1812. He asked for scientific employment and received an immediate response from Davy inviting him for a meeting in January. Davy subsequently employed Faraday as an amanuensis, after Davy had injured his eyes in a chemical explosion. And in March 1813, Faraday was given the vacant post of laboratory assistant in the Royal Institute, including accommodation within the Institute itself.
****

"“Science is a harsh mistress.”

"—Sir Humphry Davy"
***

"The Royal Institute was founded in 1799 at a meeting held at the home of the President of the Royal Society, Joseph Banks. The Royal Institution was intended to be for the sharing of knowledge and the application of that knowledge in general life. The Institute was to prove the perfect launching pad for Faraday’s scientific career and the securing of a post within the Royal Institution must, to Faraday, have seemed the realization of a dream. Faraday had completed the transition from the trade of bookbinding to the world of science. Initially, he appears to have been primarily employed as an assistant to Sir Humphry Davy. Amongst other enterprises, he continued the experiments with nitrogen trichloride which had damaged Davy’s eyes and given Faraday his first opportunity. In 1815, Faraday was acknowledged by Davy for his assistance in the development of the miner’s safety lamp—the so-called Davy lamp.

"Faraday’s humble origins meant that despite his intellect and ability he was not looked upon as being a gentleman and therefore was not of the same social level as Davy and others within the Institution. In 1813, Davy invited Faraday to accompany him and his wife on a tour of Europe. The tour would be cut short, however, by the resumption of the war with France, following Napoleon’s escape from exile on the island of Elba. Faraday was to act as Davy’s scientific assistant on this trip and also as his valet. Though Faraday’s employment was with the Royal Institution and not Davy personally, Davy was the most senior and respected scientist of his age. His influence was considerable and had worked in Faraday’s favor in allowing him to take up the chance to work at the Royal Institution. But his lowly birth and Davy’s elevated rank meant that Faraday would find himself being exploited, to a degree, by his initially more illustrious senior."

Elsewhere, one reads that he was treated like a menial servant by the employer's wife on a journey that he accompanied them on, and that too with an attitude not quite kind or pleasant.
***

"On June 12, 1821, Faraday got married to Sarah Barnard. Sarah was a member of the same church as Faraday, the Sandemanians. The two would never have children, but Faraday’s letters display his devotion to his wife until his death. Sarah Faraday would become his rock, organizing the household.

"By this time Faraday was establishing a reputation as a chemist in his own right. In 1821, he was asked by an old friend to review the published work on electromagnetism by Danish scientist Hans Oersted. In order to gain an understanding of the work, Faraday repeated Oersted’s experiments. As the young boy had done to learn which materials would float or sink, Faraday still learned by experimentation. By September 4, 1821, he discovered that a wire carrying electrical current could be made to move around a magnet. Faraday described this phenomenon as electromagnetic rotations. It is the principle behind the electric motor. This work and others would lead to Faraday being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on January 8, 1824, at the age of 32
***

"Despite his fellowship, Faraday would find himself still filling the role of pseudo-assistant to Sir Humphry Davy. In the tasks he was given, it is clear that his talent was being exploited by Davy, as Faraday gained little by the completion of the tasks, all of which Davy had been charged with completing. Three main demands emerged on Faraday’s time during the 1820s. The first of these was the founding of a sister organization to sit alongside the Royal Society and contain the Royal Society’s non-scientific members. The purpose of this society would be to ensure that the Royal Society remained the home of men of science only. A meeting of interested parties was held on February 16, 1824, to establish a club, which would simply be called the Society. Faraday was made the club’s first secretary. Through February and March 1824, Faraday had to send out hundreds of letters to various scientists, artists, writers, and ....

[Ron Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember talking about Michael Faraday in college physics classes...a very long time ago. I didn't realize Faraday's research enabled the first transformers to be utilized in the power distribution of utilities throughout the world. Without transformers, none of us would have electricity in our homes or businesses. Faraday, along with Wheatstone and others, also helped radio to be developed...thus Faraday's work expanded into not only radio, but television and microwave transmissions. So, we wouldn't have cell phones without Faraday's extensive research. This short novel considers how difficult in Faraday's time (early to mid 1800's) in England, it was extremely difficult for one to rise above the social status unto which one was born. Because of Faraday's extensive notes and research, plus his great faith, he was able to become a great physicist and theorist.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this short history after reading some interesting facts about Faraday and his oversight of English lighthouses.

This is part of a series called Hourly History, which offers quick biographies that can be read in an hour.

What impressed me most about Faraday's story was that he rose from humble origins and was almost entirely self-educated. But he also joined a wave of scientists in the Victorian era who were interested in promoting science to the public, and conducting experiments to verify their theories.

Faraday was one of the first to show that a magnetic field could induce an electrical current, and that became the basis for the first electric motors. He also believed that all materials had some magnetic properties, and his work on that led to new insights about magnetism in gases, in the atmosphere, and in various other substances.

Seeking some financial independence, he took a position with a group that oversaw English lighthouses. One of his innovations was to develop a double chimney, which he allowed his brother to get the patent on, to whisk away the smoke from the whale oil that was then commonly used for the lighthouse illumination.

He also helped develop the first capacitors, which are sandwiches of conductors and insulating materials that have various functions in electrical circuits. Because of that work, the unit of capacitance has been called a farad.

This was not the best written history and I can't vouch for the accuracy of its scientific explanations, but it did serve as an interesting and intriguing introduction to a Victorian polymath.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faraday is one of those people I've always known about but knew very little about his life.

Things that stood out to me:

(1) Faraday was the ultimate experimentalist:
It seems that most famous physicists are theorists (Einstein, Newton, Bohr, Oppenheimer, etc.) and not the people who do the painstaking experimental work. Faraday was the exception.

(2) Faraday was amazingly productive
Most scientists (even famous ones) are lucky to come up with 1 major contributions, this guy came up with DOZENS of major breakthroughs.

(3) He was a bit of a rockstar
Faraday was no obscure scientist, he was quite famous in his own time. He was also pretty active in engaging with the public by doing things like giving open lectures. I think it helped that his work was experimental and so perhaps easier to understand compared to some weird theory stuff.

(4) He had no education!
Which makes all of the above even more amazing. It would seem he only had an elementary school education and taught himself everything else.

(5) Regency and Victorian Britain
Reading this gave me a feeling of what it must have been like to live in this time of rapid change. It must have felt like living in an age of wonders with new magical discoveries being announced every day!

[Joseph Allen Paine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short read and to the point.

This book is an accurate account of the founding father who created the first step in allowing you the technology to read about him 200 years later on a digital screen. Had it not been for his discovery and understanding of electricity, none of the technology we enjoy today would have been possible. Please read this book to discover his path that led to his discovery of electricity.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good short biography of one of the giants of science. Most of what we understand about magnetism (he coined the word) and electricity are because of Michael Faraday and follow-up mathematics from James Clerk Maxwell. Faraday was a lower class, self taught individual that ended up friends with the upper class and a king because of his accessible attitude and brilliant scientific mind. You need to read this if you care at all about scientific discovery.

[Ashwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic book by hourly history on the historical figures of yesteryear's.

It was great to know about Mr. Faraday. He liked to be called the experimentalist. His main theories were based on the relationship between magnetism and electricity. Well researched facts about the great scientist.

[Nihal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Faraday was a brilliant scientist who experimented with electricity and magnetism. He produced theories that are still used today. This hardworking man who was poor at childhood never once thought his fame would reach throughout the world. This book was nicely written but I think it told more about his experiments rather than his personal life.

[David Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blacksmith, bookbinder, experimentalist

I find it truly inspiring reading these historical biographies and how so many came from poverty and illiteracy homes were able to educate themselves and become pillars of science, mathematics and philosophy.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise introduction to the life of Michael Faraday. I had read of the influence of the hierarchical society of the day on his pursuits and was inspired by his being humble enough to overcome these artificial barriers with his persistence.

[Upendra Awasthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring

Faraday's life is evidence of the potential of human mind and intellect. Today's science students and teachers should think what they can contribute with facilities and knowledge available to them now.

[Mike woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read!

A lovely read about a great man, a hero. It should be read by everyone. Proof that like Shakespeare, a working class man can do anything. Well done author I shall read the rest of your books.

[Anthony Ambruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice biography

This was a brief but interesting biography of a great scientist. I had no idea that Faraday was self-taught. I am happy to have read this.

[Ruby Khaja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Nice and to the point biography of Farady. Loved to see how with persistence he rose from poverty to success and fame.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faraday is obviously no dummy, a fighter for the detail.
An interesting read.

[Livey · Rating 3 out of 5]

fascinating

I enjoy reading about early scientists who buck the norm and go in to provide significant contributions to society usually after their death. This series allows me to read and listen to relevant historic figures not taught in standard history courses.

[John Eric Edinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suprized to learn it was a candle!!

It was interesting that Faraday used a candle to explain signals and waves as a background to magnitism. i'd have thought he and Maxwell wwould have focused on the electric current in a wire produced by a moving magnet and connected it to a water wheel.