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A German-Jewish physicist whose laboratory experiments
confirmed Maxwell's theory of electromagnetic waves and yielded useful
information about their behaviour. Following on from Maxwells theory,
Hertz devised a transmitting oscillator, from which electric waves were
made to radiate. To detect them in the air he used a metal loop, which
had a gap at one side. When the loop was brought within the influence
of an electrical current set up by the oscillator, sparks could be seen
to cross the gap. Hertz declared this proved that electric waves sent
out into space could be detected. His name is now given to the unit
of frequency (Hertz) and is abbreviated Hz. This replaced the use of
cycles per second for the unit of frequency in the late 1960's. He did
much brilliant work, and died, when not quite 37, on 1st January 1894.
Marconi started his experiments in December that year and put the work
of Faraday, Maxwell, Hertz, and Oliver Lodge to practical use in his
experiments with wireless telegraphy. |