William Gilbert

15441603 English

hypothesized that the Earth is a giant magnet performed fundamental observations, experiments, and mathematical analyses in astronomy and physics; discovered mountains and craters on the moon, the phases of Venus, and the four largest satellites of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede discovered law of refraction (Snell's law) discovered that pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished to every part of the fluid and to the walls of its container (Pascal's principle) proposed a simple geometrical wave theory of light, now known as ``Huygen's principle''; pioneered use of the pendulum in clocks

Robert Hooke

16351703 English

discovered Hooke's law of elasticity developed theories of gravitation and mechanics, and invented differential calculus developed the fundamental relationship of fluid flow now known as Bernoulli's principle

Sir Isaac Newton

16431727 English

Galileo Galilei

15641642 Italian

Daniel Bernoulli

17001782 Swiss

Benjamin Franklin

Willebrod Snell

15801626 Dutch

the first American physicist; 1706characterized two 1790 kinds of electric American charge, which he named ``positive'' and ``negative'' made fundamental contributions to fluid dynamics, lunar orbit theory (tides), and mechanics; also contributed prolifically to all areas of classical mathematics discovered and studied hydrogen; first to measure Newton's gravitational constant; calculated mass and mean density of Earth experiments on elasticity,

Blaise Pascal

16231662 French

Leonard Euler

17071783 Swiss

Christiaan Huygens

16291695 Dutch

Henry Cavendish

17311810 British

Charles Augustin

17361806

de Coulomb

French

electricity, and magnetism; established experimentally nature of the force between two charges developed new methods of analytical mechanics invented the modern condensing steam engine and a centrifugal governor pioneer in study of electricity; invented the first electric battery established the differential equation governing heat diffusion and solved it by devising an infinite series of sines and cosines capable of approximating a wide variety of functions studied light and color; known for his double-slit experiment that demonstrated the wave nature of light studied polarization of light; codiscovered that intensity of Andr Marie Ampre 17751836 French

magnetic field set up by a current flowing through a wire varies inversely with the distance from the wire father of electrodynamics developed hypothesis that all gases at same volume, pressure, and temperature contain same number of atoms formulated separate electrostatic and electrodynamical laws, including ``Gauss' law''; contributed to development of number theory, differential geometry, potential theory, theory of terrestrial magnetism, and methods of calculating planetary orbits discovered that a current in a wire can produce magnetic effects deduced ``Brewster's law'' giving the angle of incidence that produces reflected light which is

JosephLouis Lagrange

17361813 French

James Watt

17361819 Scottish

Amadeo Avogadro

17761856 Italian

Count 1745Alessandro 1827 Volta Italian

Joseph Fourier

17681830 French

Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss

17771855 German

Thomas Young

17731829 British

Hans Christian Oersted

17771851 Danish

JeanBabtiste Biot

17741862 French

Sir David Brewster

17811868 English

completely polarized; invented the kaleidoscope and the stereoscope, and improved the spectroscope AugustinJean Fresnel 17881827 French studied transverse nature of light waves discovered that current flow is proportional to potential difference and inversely proportional to resistance (Ohm's law) discovered electromagnetic induction and devised first electrical transformer co-discovered that intensity of magnetic field set up by a current flowing through a wire varies inversely with the distance from the wire founded the science of thermodynamics

devised first practical electric motor

Georg Ohm

17891854 German

Michael Faraday

17911867 English

Felix Savart

17911841 French

Sadi Carnot

17961832 French

Joseph Henry

performed extensive 1797fundamental 1878 studies of American electromagnetic phenomena;