William Gilbert, who was also known as “Gilberd,” did a lot of research on magnetism and was known for it. He was well-known during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, and his book “De Magnete” is the most well-known thing he wrote. William Gilbert is known as the father of electricity, magnetism, and electrical engineering. He is also known as one of the people who came up with the word “electricity.” During his life, he traveled a lot and wrote many books, such as “Magnetisque Corporibus” and “ET de Magno Magnete Tellure.” Gilbert was not only a scientist, but he also worked as an astronomer. He looked at the moon’s surface without a telescope and came to the conclusion that the craters were land and the white spots were bodies of water. One of his other important contributions was to show that the movement of the sky was caused by the earth’s rotation. Gilbert was a well-known astronomer and scientist. He was one of the first people to try to map the marks on the moon’s surface. Many of the people who came after him disagreed with his ideas about magnetism and electricity. Click on the link below to learn more about this interesting person.
Early years and childhood
On May 24, 1544, in Colchester, Jerome Gilberd’s wife gave birth to William Gilbert. Most of the information about Gilbert’s childhood has been lost, but there are still a few vague references to his early life. Gilbert may have gone to school at St. John’s College in Cambridge, where he became interested in science.
After high school, Gilbert went to the University of Cambridge to get his MD. From here, he worked as the bursar for a short time before he left Cambridge to become a doctor in London. In 1573, he was chosen as a Fellow of the College of Physicians. In 1600, just as his career was getting going, he was also chosen as the President of the College.
William Gilbert’s Career
William Gilbert is known as the “father” of the science of electricity. He began his career as a doctor in London in 1573. His main works, “De Magnete,” “Magnetisque Corporibus,” and “Magno Magnete Tellure,” were all written and published in 1600.
They give a full account of his research on electrical attractions and magnetic bodies. Robert Norman, who came before him, was a big influence on many of these works. During his years studying astronomy, Gilbert talked about most of his experiments and observations in terms of model earth he called “Terrell.”
From one of these experiments, Gilbert came to the conclusion that the earth was “magnetic” at its center, which was one reason why compasses pointed north. He disproved the ideas of his predecessors, who thought that the North Pole (pole star) was a big magnetic island, which is why the arrows pointed north.
Gilbert was the first person to argue that the center of the Earth was made of iron and that the north and south poles were two separate parts of the Earth. Some of his other works about astronomy were about how celestial objects move during the day.
Gilbert came to the conclusion, based on some of the things he had seen, that the stars were also far away and not in fixed spots on an imaginary sphere.
William Gilbert also made the electroscope, which was the first electrical measuring tool, and the “sensorium,” which was a needle that could be turned. Like other scientists of his time, he thought that crystal (quartz) was frozen water that had been compressed.
Gilbert & ‘Electricus’
Sir Thomas Browne first used the word “electricity,” which he got from a book written by Gilbert in 1600. Gilbert used the word “electricus,” which means “like amber.” Gilbert found that when two or more objects rubbed against each other, they gave off a substance called “effluvium.”
This caused the object’s attraction to come back to it in the form of an electric charge. What Gilbert didn’t figure out was that this theory could be used for almost any kind of material.
Gilbert’s Arguments & Later Life
William Gilbert said that the theories of magnetism and electricity were very different. He said that electricity didn’t go away with heat, but magnetism did. This theory was later shown to be wrong. After Gilbert died, a few scientists argued that electric and magnetic fields were the same and had the same effects.
This is how “electromagnetism” came to be. Gilbert’s ideas about magnetism led many of his followers, like Kepler, astray, even though they explained how planets move and how they attract other celestial objects. Gilbert became a doctor for Queen Elizabeth I near the end of his life, and after she died, he became a doctor for King James I. He died not long after that.
Death and History
William Gilbert died in London at the age of 59 on November 30, 1603. Even though there have been many different theories about what killed him, it is often said that Gilbert might have died from the bubonic plague. Gilbert is known as the “father of electricity,” and after he died, his works became very popular.
His unfinished book, “De Mundo Nostro Sublunari Philosophia Nova,” was also published after he died. In Colchester, “The Gilberd School” was also named after him.
Estimated Net worth
William is one of the wealthiest playwrights and is on the list of the most popular ones. Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider all say that William Gilbert’s net worth is about $1.5 million.