James C.

Maxwell Biography Physicist (1831–1879)

James C. Maxwell was a 19th century pioneer in chemistry and physics who articulated
the idea of electromagnetism.

Synopsis

Born on June 13, 1831, in Edinburgh, Scotland, James C. Maxwell studied at the Unive
rsity of Cambridge before holding a variety of professorship posts. Already known for hi
s innovations in optics and gas velocity research, his groundbreaking theories around el
ectromagnetism, articulated in the famed Maxwell's Equations, greatly influenced modern
physics as we know it. Maxwell died in England on November 5, 1879.

Academic Background

James Clerk Maxwell was born on June 13, 1831, at 14 India Street in Edinburgh, Scot
land. Having a keen intellect from childhood, he had one of his geometry papers presen
ted at the Royal Society of Edinburgh during his adolescence. By 16 he'd enrolled at th
e University of Edinburgh, pursuing a fervent interest in optics and color research. He st
udied there for three years and eventually attended Cambridge University's Trinity Colle
ge, graduating in 1854.

After teaching at Trinity for a time, Maxwell moved on to Marischal College as part of t
he physics faculty. He wed Katherine Mary Dewar in 1858.

Saturn's Rings

While at Marischal, Maxwell pondered a major astronomical question, looking at the cas
e of Saturn and coming up with the idea that the planet's rings are comprised of particl
es, a theory later confirmed via 20th-century space probes. For this, Maxwell received t
he Adam Prize.

Upon Marischal becoming part of the University of Aberdeen, Maxwell took on a profess
or position at King's College in London. He taught there until 1865, when he resigned fr
om his post to do research from his home in Glenlair. Having continued to do work with
Cambridge University as well, Maxwell was instrumental in helping to establish the insti
tution's Cavendish Laboratory, and he took on roles there as lab director and professor
of experimental physics at the start of the 1870s.
Pioneer in Electromagnetism

Maxwell had continued his research on color and made groundbreaking discoveries aro
und gas velocity. It was during Maxwell's time at King's College that he began to share
revolutionary ideas around electromagnetism and light.

Fellow physicist Michael Faraday had already championed the notion that electricity and
magnetics were connected; Maxwell, via experimentation with vortexes, expanded on Fa
raday's work and came up with the theory of electromagnetic movement being conceptu
alized in the form of waves, with said energy travelling at light speed.

Maxwell's Equations

Supporting his theorems, Maxwell's Equations—speaking to the scholar's aptitude in usi

ng math to articulate scientific occurrences—were found in the paper "Dynamical theory
of the electromagnetic field," presented to the Royal Society of London in 1864 and pub
lished the following year. In 1873 he published the book A Treatise on Electricity and M
agnetism, which further expounded on his research.

"The special theory of relativity owes its origins to Maxwell's equations of the electroma
gnetic field." -- Albert Einstein

Maxwell's other scientific contributions included producing the first color photograph, take
n in 1861, and creating structural engineering calculations for bridge maintenance. He e
arned an array of awards over the course of his career, including the Rumford Medal,
Keith Prize and Hopkins Prize, in addition to receiving membership in groups like the R
oyal Academy of Sciences of Amsterdam. Other publications included Theory of Heat (1
871) and Matter and Motion (1877).

Death and Legacy

James C. Maxwell died in Cambridge, England, on November 5, 1879, from abdominal

cancer. His discoveries paved the way for much of the modern world's technological inn
ovations and continued to influence physics well into the next century, with thinkers like
Albert Einstein praising him for his indispensable contributions. Maxwell's original house,
now a museum, is the site of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation.