History of discovering, understanding, and using electromagnetic energy

 Is electricity a product of science?

Electricity or electromagnetic energy is a product of science and engineering. Science and engineering evolved in seeking to understand and use electromagnetic energy.

Who discovered electromagnetic energy?

No single individual can be attributed to discovering electromagnetic energy. There are key figures who were vital in contributing to us understanding and using electromagnetic energy. Among these figures are Michal Faraday, Edison, Tesla, and so forth. Historically speaking, the discovery, exploration and application of electromagnetic energy are product of the Euro-American civilization.

Is there any evidence of use of electromagnetic energy prior to modern times?

No. Traditionally, sun, water or river, wind, wood and oil have been used as the sources of energy, but not electromagnetic energy.

When I think of electricity, I don't necessarily think in-terms of energy, but of computers, T.V, and other devices that are so vital to our lives. What is the primary use of electricity?

Being in an environment spirited by electromagnetic energy, we are not totally aware of its historical development and its primary role as a form of energy. The primary use still is to light, and to run motors.

Another critical use of electromagnetic energy is in terms of electromagnetic signals, which has lead to the communication revolution. Morse's telegraph, Marconi's wireless transmission, radio, television, and computer are all enabled by the use of electromagnetic signals.

What are the key historical developments in discovering, understanding, and using electromagnetic energy?

The development is not a linear process. In general, historians trace the development back to the publication of "The Magnet" by William Gilbert in 1600. Stephen Gray, Charles du Fay, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Cavendish, Luigi Galvani, Alessandro Volta, Humber Davy, Hans Christian Oersted, Andre Marie Ampere, Charles Coulomb, George Ohm, Michael Faraday, and James Clear Maxwell are notables among the pioneers of electromagnetic energy. Please note the Electromagnetic Energy History Time Line for details. An interesting note to the science historian is that the development has been at times accidental and consisting of "breakthroughs", and in general incremental and accumulative.

However, the use of electromagnetic energy predated the paradigm on which we now theorize about electromagnetic energy. Edison has established lighting system by 1881, about sixteen years before J.J Thompson discovered the electrons in 1897, and Milken's quantification of its charge on 1909. Thus, the atomic theory or the paradigm is a later development.

What is electromagnetic energy?
(Continuity Question)