Biography of Georg Simon Oma


Georg Simon Om was the pioneer of the rule, known as the Ohm’s law.

Childhood and early years

Georg Simon Om was born in the Protestant family of Johann Wolfgang Oma and Maria Elizabeth Beck. His father was engaged in plumbing, and his mother was the daughter of a tailor. The parents did not have academic education, but this did not prevent the father from engaging in self-education. Johann, basing himself on his knowledge, independently took up the formation of his own children. George had a younger brother Martin, who later became a famous mathematician, and sister Elizabeth Barbara. George, together with his brother Martin, with their efforts reached such heights in mathematics, physics, chemistry and philosophy that in the academic education of boys there was no longer any need. However, at the age of 11, Georg enters the Erlangen gymnasium, where he will study until the age of fifteen. But this stage of training fell into the boy’s displeasure, concluding,

in his own words, only in the development of mechanical memory and the interpretation of texts. The level of education of the Om brothers was so high that Karl Christian von Langsdorf, a professor at the University of Erlangen, compared the boys to the Bernoulli family.

In 1805 Georg Om entered the University of Erlagen. Instead of concentrating on learning, he devotes his time to extra-curricular activities. Johann, who noted that his son was losing precious years and missed the opportunity to receive a decent education, sent his son to Switzerland in 1806. There, in the town of Gottstadt in the county of Nidaou, George becomes a school teacher of mathematics. In 1809, Karl Christian von Langsdorf left his post at Erlangen University and moved to Heidelberg University. He was followed by Om, but he, discouraging the future scientist, advised instead to take up the study of the works of Euler, Laplace and Lacroix. In March 1809 Om left his teaching post, moved to Neuchâtel, where he gives private lessons. He devotes free time to independent study of mathematics.

Teaching Activities

Georg Om

has achieved such heights in his private teaching practice, which by his own strength was able to prepare for the defense of a doctorate degree. October 25, 1811, at Erlangen University, Om receives a Ph. D. Right after that, he enters a lecturer at the university department of mathematics. But he will only stay there for three months, and after that, understanding the absence of any perspective, he will leave the university. Om lived in extreme need, and the scanty salary of the lecturer could not correct his plight. In 1813, having responded to the proposal of the Bavarian authorities, Om became a teacher of mathematics and physics in Bamberg. But, being dissatisfied with this position, George, in order to somehow prove himself, proceeds to write a textbook on the initial course of geometry. In 1816 the school closes,

The following year, in September 1817, Omu offered to take the post of teacher of mathematics and physics in the Jesuit High School of Cologne. This chance was not allowed to be missed, since this gymnasium was not only better than all the educational institutions in which he had taught before, but also had a well-equipped laboratory with him. For all his teaching activity, Om never for a moment threw his self-education, studying the works of scholars of French mathematicians: Lagrange, Legendre, Laplace, Biot and Poisson. Later, Om will get acquainted with the works of Fourier and Fresnel. And at the same time, learning about the theoretical substantiation of the phenomenon of electromagnetism by Oersted in 1820, George begins to put his own experiments in the school physical laboratory. He does this solely to raise his own level of knowledge. Om recognizes that if he wants to get a job, which will really be interesting, he will have to work on research materials. After all, only by relying on something, he could show himself to the world and achieve what he wanted.

Ohm’s research

In 1825 Om submits to the scientific community an article in which he establishes that the electromagnetic force in the conductor decreases as the length of this conductor increases. The article is based solely on evidence obtained empirically during the conduct of their own experiments. In the same year there will be two more articles. In one of them, the scientist gives a mathematical justification of the conductivity in the circuit of an electrical circuit, built on the theory of Fourier heat conductivity. The second article was of extreme importance, since Om explained the results of experiments conducted by other scientists with a galvanic current. This very article was the backbone of what we now call “Ohm’s law”, published already next year. In 1827, Om issued his famous work “Galvanic chains, mathematical basis “in which he gives a detailed explanation of the theory of electrical circuits. The book is also valuable in that, instead of proceeding directly to the object of investigation, Om first gives a mathematical confirmation of the theory necessary for the further understanding of the subject. This has become a very important point, since even the most outstanding German physicists needed such a representation, because this book was the rarest in those times when the approach to physics was directly physical, not mathematical. it is clear from Ohm’s theory that interactions in an electrical circuit occur between “equally charged particles.” And, finally, this work clearly illustrated the differences in the scientific approach of Ohm from the Fourier and Navier works. Instead of proceeding directly to the object of investigation, Om first gives a mathematical confirmation of the theory, which is necessary for the further understanding of the subject. This became a very important point, since even the most outstanding German physicists needed such a representation, because this book was the rarest in those days when the approach to physics was directly physical, not mathematical. According to Ohm’s theory, interactions in an electrical circuit occur between “equally charged particles”. And, finally, this work clearly illustrated the differences in the scientific approach of Ohm from the works of Fourier and Navier. Instead of proceeding directly to the object of investigation, Om first gives a mathematical confirmation of the theory, which is necessary for the further understanding of the subject. This became a very important point, since even the most outstanding German physicists needed such a representation, because this book was the rarest in those days when the approach to physics was directly physical, not mathematical. According to Ohm’s theory, interactions in an electrical circuit occur between “equally charged particles”. And, finally, this work clearly illustrated the differences in the scientific approach of Ohm from the works of Fourier and Navier. since even the most outstanding German physicists needed such a representation, because this book was the rarest in those days when the approach to physics was directly physical, not mathematical. According to Ohm’s theory, interactions in an electrical circuit occur between “equally charged particles”. And, finally, this work clearly illustrated the differences in the scientific approach of Ohm from the works of Fourier and Navier. since even the most outstanding German physicists needed such a representation, because this book was the rarest in those days when the approach to physics was directly physical, not mathematical. According to Ohm’s theory, interactions in an electrical circuit occur between “equally charged particles”. And, finally, this work clearly illustrated the differences in the scientific approach of Ohm from the works of Fourier and Navier.

Late years

In 1826, the Cologne Jesuit gymnasium provides Om vacation with half the salary remaining to continue his scientific research, but, in September 1827, the scientist is forced again to begin his teaching duties. The whole year spent in Berlin, he sincerely believed that his scientific publication would help to get a worthy place in some famous university. However, when this did not happen, he reluctantly returns to his former place of work. But the worst thing in all of history was that, despite the importance of his work, the scientific world took it more than cool. Offended, Om decides to move to Berlin. And in March 1828, he officially leaves his post at the Cologne Jesuit Gymnasium and takes a temporary job as a mathematics teacher at various schools in Berlin. In 1833 the scientist accepts the offer to become a professor in Nuremberg. But, even having received a treasured post, Om remains dissatisfied. The hard and hard work of the scientist was finally rewarded in 1842, when he receives the Copley medal of the British Royal Society. In the next year he is elected as a foreign member of the society. In 1845 Om became a full member of the Bavarian Academy. Four years later, he holds the position of curator of the Physics Museum at the Bavarian Academy in Munich and lectures at the University of Munich. Only in 1852 Om will receive the post, which he sought all his life: he was appointed head of the department of physics at the University of Munich. when he receives the Copley medal of the British Royal Society. In the next year he is elected as a foreign member of the society. In 1845 Om became a full member of the Bavarian Academy. Four years later, he holds the position of curator of the Physics Museum at the Bavarian Academy in Munich and lectures at the University of Munich. Only in 1852 Om will receive the post, which he sought all his life: he was appointed head of the department of physics at the University of Munich. when he receives the Copley medal of the British Royal Society. In the next year he is elected as a foreign member of the society. In 1845 Om became a full member of the Bavarian Academy. Four years later, he holds the position of curator of the Physics Museum at the Bavarian Academy in Munich and lectures at the University of Munich. Only in 1852 Om will receive the post, which he sought all his life: he was appointed head of the department of physics at the University of Munich.

Death and heritage

The heart of George Ohm stopped in Munich, in 1854. He was buried in the Old Southern Cemetery in Munich. Little is known about the reasons for his death. The name of this scientist entered into the terminology of electricity in the title “Ohm’s law.” In addition, his name has a unit of resistance in the International system of units, denoted by the Greek letter “Ω”.


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Biography of Georg Simon Oma