André-Marie Ampère

Physics French 1775 – 1836 369 quotes

One of the founders of the science of classical electromagnetism, which he referred to as 'electrodynamics'.

Most quoted

"The most general law of electrodynamic action is that two elements of current attract or repel each other in the inverse ratio of the square of their distance, and in the direct ratio of the product of their lengths and of the sines of the angles which they make with the line joining them."

— from Théorie mathématique des phénomènes électrodynamiques, uniquement déduite de l'expérience, 1826

"The force between two current elements is proportional to the product of their lengths, to the product of the currents they carry, and to the sine of the angle between their directions, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them."

— from Mémoire sur la théorie mathématique des phénomènes électrodynamiques, uniquement déduite de l'expérience, 1826

"The facts are the only things that are certain in science, and the only way to arrive at truth is to observe them carefully and to deduce from them, by means of rigorous reasoning, the laws that govern them."

— from Essai sur la philosophie des sciences, ou Exposition analytique d'une classification naturelle de toutes les connaissances humaines

All quotes by André-Marie Ampère (369)

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

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I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.

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I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.

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The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.

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The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.

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If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.

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Science is a magnificent force, but it is not a teacher of morals.

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To understand nature is to understand God.

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The human mind is a vast and unexplored territory.

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Life is a journey, not a destination.

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Death is not the end, but a new beginning.

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Truth is a torch that gleams through the fog without dispelling it.

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Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them.

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The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

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To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.

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The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

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Where there is love there is life.

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The soul is not in the body, but the body in the soul.

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We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.

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