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Erik EdlundSwedish physicist, member of the Stockholm Academy of Sciences.
Country:
 Sweden |
Content:
Biography of Erik Edlund
Erik Edlund (1819-1888) was a Swedish physicist and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He is best known for his research on the nature of electricity, particularly his work on "On the Nature of Electricity" published in 1871.
Contributions to Electrical Theory
Edlund's theory, known as the unitary hypothesis, proposed that there is only one electric fluid, rather than two, to explain both static and dynamic electrical phenomena. He suggested that this fluid is likely to be the ether, attributing to it properties of a regular gas. According to Edlund, in good electrical conductors, the ether can freely move, while in non-conducting materials, it is bound to the molecules.
Edlund derived Coulomb's law, which describes the interaction between electrified bodies, by assuming that positively charged bodies contain more ether than when they are neutral, and negatively charged bodies contain less. He also explained the phenomenon of the Peltier effect, where an electromotive force is created by converting thermal oscillation into translational motion.
In addition to his groundbreaking work on electrical theory, Edlund conducted numerous experimental and theoretical investigations, primarily focused on the field of electric current. His studies included research on induction currents generated by the closure and opening of galvanic circuits, the heating of materials during intermittent magnetization, changes in electrical conductivity of iron when magnetized, and the elongation of iron and other wires when an electric current passes through them.
Later Works
Towards the later part of his career, Edlund conducted extensive research on unipolar induction, atmospheric electricity, and polar auroras from 1878 to 1888. He also published several smaller articles on topics such as the conductivity of vacuum, the theory of unipolar induction, and more.
His final publication in 1888 was an article on atmospheric electricity, further cementing his contributions to the field of physics and electrical theory.
Although Edlund's theory garnered great attention during his time and had some commonalities with contemporary theories, it is now less frequently mentioned in scientific discourse. However, his significant body of work continues to be recognized and appreciated, and it is likely that the importance of his main work will be acknowledged and appreciated in the future.
