André-Marie Ampère
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)
The most important thing in science is not to discover new facts, but to discover new ways of thinking about them.
Nature is a book written in mathematical language.
The phenomena of magnetism are due to electric currents in the interior of magnetic bodies.
The true method of science is to proceed from the known to the unknown, and from the simple to the complex.
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.
All physical phenomena are ultimately reducible to mechanical phenomena.
The progress of science depends on the constant interaction between theory and experiment.
The most beautiful theories are those that are the simplest and the most general.
The electric current is a continuous flow of electricity.
Mathematics is the language of nature.
The experimental method is the only reliable way to acquire knowledge in physics.
The laws of nature are immutable and eternal.
The force between two parallel currents is attractive if they flow in the same direction and repulsive if they flow in opposite directions.
The true scientist is one who is always ready to abandon a cherished hypothesis when it is contradicted by experiment.
The phenomena of electricity and magnetism are intimately connected.
The universe is governed by a few simple and elegant laws.
The most profound truths are often the simplest.
The electric current produces a magnetic field around it.
The aim of science is to understand the world around us.
The true measure of a scientist is not the number of facts he knows, but the depth of his understanding.
Contemporaries of André-Marie Ampère
Other Physicss born within 50 years of André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836).