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Georg Ohm

physical science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Georg Simon Ohm was a famous German mathematician and physicist.

Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854)
Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854)

He was born in 1789 in a place called Erlangen. His father was a locksmith named Johann Wolfgang Ohm. Even though his parents did not go to formal school, his father taught Georg and his siblings at home. They learned many things like math, physics, and chemistry. This early training helped Georg prepare for a life of science. He eventually became a very important person in the study of electricity.

Ohm wanted to understand how electric current works. He began his research using a new tool called an electrochemical cell.

This tool was invented by an Italian scientist named Alessandro Volta. Ohm even built his own special equipment to help his studies. He discovered a rule called Ohm's law. This law shows how voltage and current are linked together. He found that the voltage applied to a conductor is directly proportional to the current. This means when the voltage changes, the current changes in a predictable way.

Ohm's journey as a teacher and researcher took many years. He studied in Switzerland and worked as a teacher in Gottstadt. Later, he moved to Heidelberg to study more math.

Text document with red question mark
Text document with red question mark

He earned his doctorate from the University of Erlangen in 1811. He spent time teaching in Bamberg and later at the Jesuit Gymnasium of Cologne. In Cologne, he had a good lab to do physics experiments. He eventually became a professor at the University of Munich in 1852.

In 1827, Ohm published his most important book.

Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854)
Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854)

It was titled *Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch bearbeitet*. This book explained his complete theory of electricity. At first, many people did not appreciate his hard work. However, his ideas were very important for the future of science. In 1841, the Royal Society gave him the Copley Medal. This was a very special award for his great discoveries. He also became a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.

Today, we still use Ohm's name in science every day. We use the word "ohm" as a unit to measure resistance.

Denkmal Ohm TU München
Denkmal Ohm TU München

Resistance is how much a part of a circuit slows down electricity. His work helped start the study of circuit theory. This field became very important later in the 1800s. Even though he lived a long time ago, his rules still help us use electricity. Georg Ohm died in Munich in 1854 and is buried there.

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