Makers of ElectricityWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
History
Makers of Electricity
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Electricity -- Biography
The next cardinal fact in terrestrial magnetism, magnetic dip, was
discovered in 1576 by Robert Norman, a compass-maker of Limehouse,
London. Norman possessed many of the fine qualities of mind, hand and
disposition that are indispensable in the make-up of the original
investigator. In pivoting his compass-needles, he soon noticed that,
however carefully they were balanced before being magnetized, they did
not remain horizontal after magnetization, the north-seeking end always
going down through a small angle. He next had the happy idea of swinging
a needle on a horizontal axis, so that it might be free to move up and
down in a vertical plane, with the result that the north-seeking end
again went down through a constant but much greater angle.
[Illustration: FIG. 5 The first dip-circle, invented by Norman in 1576]
Like declination, the first discovered of the three magnetic elements,
the dip was found to vary with place on the earth's surface, being 0° at
the magnetic equator and 90° at either pole. It was with a Norman
dip-circle, greatly improved, that Ross in 1831 found the north magnetic
pole of the earth to be in Boothia Felix in latitude 70° 5'.3 N., and
longitude 96° 45'.8 W.; and it was with a similar instrument that
Amundsen recently studied the magnetic conditions of that Arctic region,
the exact location of the pole itself being finally determined by an
earth-inductor or spinning coil of the latest make. Though the results
of his observations have not yet been made public, it is generally known
that they indicate a spot for the magnetic pole close to that found by
Sir James Ross. It is not expected, however, that the location of the
pole by the Norwegian Commander shall exactly coincide with that of the
English Captain, because the magnetic pole is believed to have nomadic
tendencies of its own like our geographical pole, only much more
pronounced in magnitude. After moving westward for some time at the rate
of a mile per year, it retraced its steps and is now back again in the
vicinity of its starting place.
Besides his dip-circle, Norman also devised a simple and very apt
illustration of magnetic inclination. Thrusting a steel needle through a
round piece of cork, he pared the latter down until the system,
consisting of the needle and the cork, sank to a certain depth in a
glass vessel containing water, and there took up a horizontal position.
The needle was next removed from the water and magnetized with great
care, so as not to disturb its position in the cork. When placed again
in the water, the needle sank to its former depth and settled down at an
angle of 71° to the horizon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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