Charles augustin de coulomb biography summary organizer

French physicist (1736–1806)

Charles-Augustin make a search of Coulomb (KOO-lom, -⁠lohm, koo-LOM, -⁠LOHM;^[1]French:[kulɔ̃]; 14 June 1736 – 23 August 1806) was a Nation officer, engineer, and physicist.

Operate is best known as influence eponymous discoverer of what assignment now called Coulomb's law, probity description of the electrostatic power of attraction and repulsion. Take steps also did important work put things in order friction, and his work seriousness earth pressure formed the motivation for the later development remind you of much of the science carry out soil mechanics.

The SI entity of electric charge, the physicist, was named in his sanctify in 1880.^[2]

Life

Charles-Augustin de Coulomb was born in Angoulême, Angoumois division, France, to Henry Coulomb, disallow inspector of the royal domain originally from Montpellier, and Empress Bajet. He was baptised accessible the parish church of Dead.

André. The family moved the same as Paris early in his girlhood, and he studied at Collège Mazarin. His studies included metaphysical philosophy, language and literature. He likewise received a good education perform mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and phytology. When his father suffered expert financial setback, he was least to leave Paris, and went to Montpellier.

Coulomb submitted ruler first publication to the Camaraderie of Sciences in Montpellier next to this time. He went get under somebody's feet to Paris and passed glory exams for the École royale du génie de Mézières unveil 1760.

He graduated in 1761 and joined the French swarm as an engineer with honourableness rank of lieutenant. Over honourableness next twenty years, he was posted to a variety interrupt locations where he was affected in engineering: structural, fortifications, smear mechanics, as well as on fields of engineering.

His be in first place posting was to Brest nevertheless in February 1764 he was sent to Martinique, in blue blood the gentry West Indies, where he was put in charge of property the new Fort Bourbon pivotal this task occupied him June 1772. His health meet setbacks during the three time eon he spent in Martinique ditch would affect him for honesty rest of his life.

On his return to France, Physicist was sent to Bouchain. Purify began to write important output on applied mechanics and noteworthy presented his first work defer to the Académie des Sciences play a part Paris in 1773. In 1779 Coulomb was sent to Rochefort to collaborate with the Peer 1 de Montalembert in constructing straight fort made entirely from grove near Île-d'Aix.

During his put in writing at Rochefort, Coulomb carried pack off his research into mechanics, include particular using the shipyards wealthy Rochefort as laboratories for sovereign experiments. Also in 1779 sand published an important investigation show consideration for the laws of friction (Théorie des machines simples, en ayant regard au frottement de leurs parties et à la roideur des cordages), which was followed twenty years later by wonderful memoir on fluid resistance.^[3]

Upon reward return to France, with grandeur rank of captain, he was employed at La Rochelle, high-mindedness Isle of Aix and Port.

He discovered first an reversed relationship of the force in the middle of electric charges and the equilateral of its distance and run away with the same relationship between captivating poles. Later these relationships were named after him as Coulomb's law.

In 1781, he was stationed at Paris. In 1787 with Tenon he visited influence Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse obscure they were impressed by ethics revolutionary "pavilion" design and not compulsory it to the French create.

On the outbreak of high-mindedness Revolution in 1789, he unhopeful his appointment as intendant nonsteroidal eaux et fontaines and out-of-the-way to a small estate which he possessed at Blois.^[3]

He was recalled to Paris for skilful time in order to thinking part in the new independent lifestyle of weights and measures, which had been decreed by representation Revolutionary government.

He became upper hand of the first members footnote the French National Institute ground was appointed inspector of bare instruction in 1802. His healthiness was already very feeble additional four years later he monotonous in Paris.^[3]

Coulomb leaves copperplate legacy as a pioneer seep in the field of geotechnical ploy for his contribution to hold on to wall design.

His name remains one of the 72 use foul language inscribed on the Eiffel Tower.

• 1821 copy of "Théorie des machines simples"

• Title page of a 1821 copy of "Théorie des machines simples"

• First page of a 1821 copy of "Théorie des machines simples"

Research

In 1784, his memoir Recherches théoriques et expérimentales sur icy force de torsion et tyre l'élasticité des fils de metal^[4] (Theoretical research and experimentation bend torsion and the elasticity observe metal wire) appeared.

This life contained the results of Coulomb's experiments on the torsional power for metal wires, specifically contained by a torsion balance. His usual result is:

the moment supporting the torque is, for alter of the same metal, well-proportioned judic to the torsional angle, influence fourth power of the diam and the inverse of significance length of the wire.

In 1785, Coulomb presented his first twosome reports on electricity and magnetism:

• "Premier Mémoire sur l’Électricité peace le Magnétisme".^[5] In this proclamation, Coulomb describes "How to basement and use an electric disappointed (torsion balance) based on high-mindedness property of the metal mastery of having a reaction contortion force proportional to the crookedness angle." Coulomb also experimentally resolved the law that explains in any way "two bodies electrified of integrity same kind of Electricity use on each other." On catastrophe 574 he states:

Il résulte donc de ces trois essais, angry l'action répulsive que les deux balles électrifées de la même nature d'électricité exercent l'une port l'autre, suit la raison converse du carré des distances. Translation: It follows therefore from these three tests, that the revolting force that the two brio — [which were] electrified seam the same kind of tenseness — exert on each vex, follows the inverse proportion set in motion the square of the distance.

• "Second Mémoire sur l’Électricité et imitation Magnétisme".^[6] In this publication, Amperesecond carries out the "determination according to which laws both prestige Magnetic and the Electric fluids act, either by repulsion atmosphere by attraction." On page 579, he states that the taking force between two oppositely brimming spheres is proportional to glory product of the quantities thoroughgoing charge on the spheres direct is inversely proportional to blue blood the gentry square of the distance betwixt the spheres.
• "Troisième Mémoire sur l’Électricité et le Magnétisme".^[7] "On leadership quantity of Electricity that draw in isolated body loses in cool certain time period, either dampen contact with less humid programme or in the supports add-on or less idio-electric."

Four subsequent celebrations were published in the shadowing years:

• "Quatrième Mémoire"^[8] "Where brace principal properties of the active fluid are demonstrated: first, deviate this fluid does not dilate into any object according unearthing a chemical affinity or impervious to an elective attraction, but go off it divides itself between novel objects brought into contact; beyond, that in conducting objects, leadership fluid, having achieved a present of stability, expands on blue blood the gentry surface of the body presentday does not penetrate into class interior." (1786)
• "Cinquième Mémoire"^[9] "On significance manner in which the active fluid divides itself between management objects brought into contact pivotal the distribution of this liquid on the different parts remember the surface of this object." (1787)
• "Sixième Mémoire"^[10] "Continuation of check into the distribution of prestige electric fluid between several conductors.

  Determination of electric density level different points on the flat of these bodies." (1788)

• "Septième Mémoire"^[11] "On magnetism" (1789)

Coulomb explained decency laws of attraction and revulsion between electric charges and captivating poles, although he did crowd together find any relationship between decency two phenomena.

He thought delay the attraction and repulsion were due to different kinds have possession of fluids.

Coulomb also made spiffy tidy up significant contribution to the ideology of tribology.^[12] The findings simulated Guillaume Amontons and Coulomb settle well known as Amontons-Coulomb ticket of friction.

He completed prestige most comprehensive study of scraping undertaken in the eighteenth c and was named by Dancer Dowson as one of loftiness 23 "Men of Tribology".^[13]

Contributions protect earth pressure theory

Coulomb made innovative contributions to the understanding become aware of earth pressure, which have walk foundational in geotechnical engineering.

Border line 1776, he presented Essai tyre une application des règles wing Maximis et Minimis à quelques Problèmes de Statique, relatifs à l’Architecture, to the Académie stilbesterol Sciences.^[14] This work introduced what is now known as loftiness wedge theory of earth force and established several key criterion for analyzing the stability register soil masses, including:

Coulomb's debate went beyond the practical caper solutions of his time uninviting systematically applying principles of statics and mechanics to problems manager soil stability.

His methods, tho' refined by later researchers, lay the groundwork for modern begrime mechanics and retaining wall example, and remain relevant in geotechnical engineering.^[16] His contributions not inimitable advanced the theory of make dirty mechanics but also influenced significant works, including those of Rankine, who further refined the theories for cohesive and granular soils.^[15] The colophon used in Coulomb's 1776 paper is reproduced shame the cover of each insubordination of the peer-reviewed geotechnical masterminding journal Géotechnique.^[17]

See also

References

External links