Gilbert, William
Published: September 6, 2006, 10:22 pm
Updated: September 6, 2006, 10:22 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Tom Lawrence
William Gilbert (1544-1603), an English physician and inventor, first described the properties of the lodestone (magnetic iron ore). Gilbert's De Magnete ("On the Magnet") was published in 1600 and quickly became the standard reference throughout Europe on electrical and magnetic phenomena, influencing astronomers such as Johannes Kepler and Galileo. Gilbert's findings suggested that magnetism was the soul of the Earth, and that a perfectly spherical lodestone, when aligned with the Earth's poles, would spin on its axis, just as the Earth spins on its axis over a period of 24 hours. Gilbert distinguished between magnetism and static (known as the amber effect). He also compared the magnet's polarity to the polarity of the Earth and developed an entire magnetic philosophy on this analogy.
Further Reading
Gilbert - Biography (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Chemistry)
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Gilbert, William". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 6, 2006; Last revised Date September 6, 2006; Retrieved May 21, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Gilbert,_William>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
William Gilbert (1544-1603), an English physician and inventor, first described the properties of the lodestone (magnetic iron ore). Gilbert's De Magnete ("On the Magnet") was published in 1600 and quickly became the standard reference throughout Europe on electrical and magnetic phenomena, influencing astronomers such as Johannes Kepler and Galileo. Gilbert's findings suggested that magnetism was the soul of the Earth, and that a perfectly spherical lodestone, when aligned with the Earth's poles, would spin on its axis, just as the Earth spins on its axis over a period of 24 hours. Gilbert distinguished between magnetism and static (known as the amber effect). He also compared the magnet's polarity to the polarity of the Earth and developed an entire magnetic philosophy on this analogy.
Further Reading
Gilbert - Biography (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Chemistry)
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