Michael Faraday: The Scientist Who Discovered Electromagnetic Induction
The self-taught experimenter whose discoveries in electromagnetism still power the modern world
Michael Faraday
A Humble Beginning
Michael Faraday was born on 22 September 1791 in Newington, Surrey, now part of London. His family was not wealthy, and he received only basic formal education. At the age of 14, he became an apprentice to a bookbinder, where he spent seven years learning the trade.
During this time, Faraday read widely and developed a strong interest in science. When he was about 18, a customer gave him tickets to lectures by the chemist Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution in London. Faraday took detailed notes, bound them carefully, and later sent them to Davy. That initiative helped him obtain a position as Davy's laboratory assistant in 1813.
This was the beginning of a scientific career that would change the world.
From Chemistry to Electricity
Faraday began as a chemist. He worked on gases, chemical reactions, and materials, and he achieved notable results in chemistry. In 1823, he succeeded in liquefying chlorine, and in 1825, he isolated benzene, an important organic compound.
He also helped create the vocabulary of electrochemistry. Terms such as electrode, anode, cathode, electrolysis, and ion are associated with his work and with the scientific language developed during that period.
But Faraday's greatest influence came from his investigations into electricity and magnetism.
The First Electric Motor
In 1821, Faraday published work on electromagnetic rotation. He built a device in which a current-carrying wire or magnet could move continuously in a circular path around another conductor or magnet. This demonstrated that electrical energy could be converted into mechanical motion.
This experiment is widely regarded as an early form of the electric motor. It showed that electricity and magnetism were not separate subjects: they could interact in ways that produced motion.
Electromagnetic Induction: Faraday's Greatest Discovery
Faraday's most famous discovery came in 1831. He found that a changing magnetic field could induce an electric current in a nearby wire. This phenomenon is called electromagnetic induction.
In one key experiment, Faraday wrapped two insulated coils of wire around an iron ring. One coil was connected to a battery, while the other was connected to a galvanometer, an instrument used to detect electric current. When he opened or closed the circuit in the first coil, the needle of the galvanometer moved. This showed that a current had been induced in the second coil.
The crucial insight was that a steady current in one coil did not continuously induce current in the other. It was the change in the magnetic field that mattered. When the current started or stopped, the magnetic field changed, and that change induced a voltage in the second coil.
Why Electromagnetic Induction Matters
Electromagnetic induction is the principle behind:
- Generators: Convert mechanical motion into electrical energy
- Transformers: Change voltage levels in power systems
- Induction cooktops: Heat pans using changing magnetic fields
- Motors and sensors: Many types of electric motors and sensors
Faraday later built a device in which a copper disc rotated between the poles of a magnet. This produced a continuous electric current and became the first dynamo, or electric generator.
The Faraday Cage
In 1836, Faraday built what is now known as a Faraday cage. This is an enclosure made from conductive material that can shield its interior from external electric fields.
Faraday cages are used in many modern applications, including protecting sensitive electronics from electrical interference and helping to reduce unwanted electric fields in certain environments. The principle is also relevant to some shielding designs used around medical equipment, including MRI machines.
The Faraday cage is a good example of how Faraday's curiosity about electricity led to practical ideas that still matter today.
Faraday's Laws of Electrolysis
Faraday also made major contributions to electrochemistry, the study of how electricity causes chemical change. In the 1830s, he formulated the laws of electrolysis, which describe the relationship between the amount of electric charge passed through an electrolyte and the amount of chemical change produced.
These laws helped establish electrochemistry as a scientific field. They remain important in areas such as:
- Electroplating
- Battery technology
- Metal refining
- Chemical analysis
Faraday's work showed that electricity was not only a physical phenomenon; it could also drive chemical reactions in measurable and predictable ways.
The Faraday Effect and Magnetism
Faraday did not stop at electricity and chemistry. In 1845, he discovered that a magnetic field could affect polarized light passing through certain materials. This became known as the Faraday effect, or magneto-optical effect.
He also investigated diamagnetism, the behaviour of certain materials that are repelled by magnetic fields. These studies helped deepen scientific understanding of magnetism and its relationship with light and matter.
A Great Communicator
Faraday was not only a brilliant experimenter. He was also a gifted communicator. At the Royal Institution, he helped establish the Friday Evening Discourses and the Christmas Lectures, which were designed to bring science to wider audiences, including young people.
His lectures were known for being clear, engaging, and full of demonstrations. Faraday believed that science should not be limited to specialists. He wanted people to see the excitement of discovery and understand how scientific ideas could shape everyday life.
This commitment to public science remains one reason Faraday is remembered not only as a researcher, but also as a teacher and communicator.
Faraday's Legacy
Michael Faraday died on 25 August 1867 at Hampton Court, where he had been given official lodgings in recognition of his contributions to science.
His legacy is enormous. The unit of electrical capacitance, the farad, is named after him. His discoveries in electromagnetic induction laid the foundation for electric power generation and much of modern electrical engineering. His ideas about magnetic fields also influenced later scientists, including James Clerk Maxwell, who developed a mathematical theory of electromagnetism.
Faraday's Work Connects to Modern Technology
Power Stations
Electrical grids that supply homes and industry
Transmission
Transformers and transmission systems
Motors & Generators
Electric machines of every size
Batteries
Batteries and electroplating
Electronics
Electronic devices and sensors
Medical Imaging
Technologies built on electromagnetic principles
Conclusion: Why Faraday Still Matters
Faraday's story shows that scientific greatness does not depend on wealth, privilege, or a long formal education. What mattered most was his curiosity, discipline, and willingness to experiment carefully.
He asked simple but powerful questions:
- What happens when electricity and magnetism interact?
- Can magnetism create electricity?
- How does electricity affect chemical substances?
- How can we understand the invisible forces around us?
By pursuing those questions, Faraday helped turn electricity from a scientific curiosity into a foundation of modern technology.
The Key Idea to Remember
Michael Faraday was a self-taught scientist whose experiments revealed deep connections between electricity, magnetism, chemistry, and light. His discovery of electromagnetic induction made possible the generators and transformers that power much of the modern world.
He was a bookbinder's apprentice who became one of history's greatest experimental scientists—and whose work still runs quietly behind the lights, motors, phones, and power systems we use every day.