FARADAY, Michael, English scientist: b. Newington Butts, England, 22 Sept. 1791; d. Hampton Court, 25 Aug. 1867. He received little or no education and was apprenticed to the trade of a bookbinder. During his term of apprenticeship, a few scientific works fell into his hands, which he read with avidity, and forthwith devoted himself to the study of, and experiments in, electricity. Having attended the lectures given in 1812 by Sir Humphrey Davy and taken notes thereon, he sent them to that philosopher and besought some scientific occupation. The reply was prompt and favor able. In 1813 Faraday was appointed chemical assistant, under Sir Humphrey, at the Royal Institution. Faraday discovered in 1820 the chlorides of carbon, and in the following year the mutual rotation of a magnetic pole and an electric current. These were strong encourage ments to proceed on the path of discovery, and led to the condensation of gases in 1823. In 1829 he labored hard and, as he thought at the time, fruitlessly, on the production of optical glass; but though unsuccessful in his immediate object, his experiments resulted in the produc tion of the heavy glass which afterward proved of great assistance to him in his magnetical in vestigations. In 1831 the series of 'Experiment al Researches in Electricity,' published in the 'Philosophical Transactions,' began with the development of the induction of electric cur rents and the evolution of electricity from mag netism. Three years later Faraday established the principle of definite electrolytic action and in 1846 received at the same time the Royal and the Rumford medals for his discoveries of dia magnetism and of the influence of magnetism upon light respectively. In 1847 he discovered
the magnetic character of oxygen, and also the magnetic relations of flame andgases. His papers, including other contributions to the store of modern science, are too numerous to mention in detail. It should be observed that the 'Researches,' though termed 'Experi mental,' contain many hypothetical ideas and many inquiries into theories generally adopted up to their time. Among these may be specified the considerations respecting static induction, atmospheric electricity, and those relating to lines of force, both physical and representative, on which having sufficiently stated his views, he was content to leave them for solution to time and future experiment. It may be added that his last hypothetical view related to the con servation of force, and that one of his latest papers treats of the division of gold and other metals. In 1833 Faraday was appointed pro fessor of chemistry in the Royal Institution, London which chair he continued to hold until his death. In 1835 he received from government a pension of $1,500 per annum in recognition of his eminent service to science. From 1829 to 1842 he was chemical lecturer at the Royal Acad emy. He was a knight of several of the European orders, and a member of the chief learned and scientific societies in Europe and the United States. Consult Tyndall,