| Heinrich Rudolf Hertz proved electricity could move through electromagnetic
waves, and the measurement of this frequency is named after him. A Hertz
(abbreviated Hz) denotes the number of electrical vibration cycles that occur
every second in an electronic device. One Hz equals one cycle per second. In
computers, Hertz is used to measure the transmission speed in a computer’s
internal clock. A measurement of 1MHz (megahertz) indicates 1 million cycles per
second.
In 1888, Hertz discovered radio waves by realizing that the principles of
electricity first initiated by British scientist James Clerk Maxwell could be
applied to waves traveling through air. To prove this, Hertz used an induction
coil and a wire-receiving loop to show how electricity could travel back and
forth.
Considering he died at just 36 years of age, his discovery was a remarkable
achievement. Born in Hamburg, Germany, Hertz didn’t immediately go into
physics. He started a career in engineering, but by the time he completed a
compulsory stint in the military in 1877, he decided to become a scientist
instead. He earned his doctorate in physics in 1880 in Berlin. He then taught at
a university in Kiel, and a few years later taught at Karlsruhe. While at
Karlsruhe, Hertz started his work in electromagnetic waves, or radio waves. |
