Heinrich Lenz
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.031153
Today is the birthday of Heinrich Lenz who was born on 12 February 1804 in Dorpat, Russian Empire (now Tartu, Estonia). After completing his education, Lenz joined an expedition sailing around the world from 1823 to 1826 and then began working at the University of St. Petersburg until his death in 1865. Lenz is primarily known for his work on electromagnetism, including the law which adapts Newton’s third law to electromagnetic circuits and bears Lenz’s name: “If an induced current flows, its direction is always such that it will oppose the change which produced it.” He also independently discovered Joule’s law in 1842 and assisted Moritz von Jacobi in the development of electroplating technology.
Date in History: 12 February 1804
