Question

Name the scientist who discovered the magnetic effect of current.

Answer 1

Hint The first instance of magnetic effect produced by an electric current was discovered in the year 1820 when the needle of a compass was deflected when a current-carrying wire was brought near it. After this, many experiments were done in order to determine the exact relation between electric current and magnetism.

Complete Step by step solution The magnetic effect of electric current was discovered by Danish Physicist, Hans Christian ørsted (Oersted) in the year 1820.
One particular day in April 1820, during a lecture, he observed that the magnetic needle in the compass kept near a current-carrying wire was deflected. On closer observation, he concluded that the needle of the compass was always perpendicular with respect to the direction of current flow. This was the first instance of proving a relationship between magnetism and electricity.
Additional Information:
The findings of Oersted were used by another physicist at the time, known as Andre-Marie Ampere. Who gave the first formula to calculate the magnetic field produced by a current-carrying conductor, better known as the Ampere’s Circuital formula.
The electromagnet theory was further strengthened and unified by Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell. Faraday discovered the phenomena of magnetic induction and gave the famous Faraday’s law in the year 1831.
Maxwell used the ideas of Faraday and established a relationship between electric and magnetic fields. The four equations given by Maxwell proved that electricity, magnetism, and light are the same thing.

Note The magnetic effect of electric current was discovered by Christian ørsted (Oersted) in the year 1820. While the production of electric current due to magnetism was discovered by Michael Faraday in the year 1831.