Date context
1831–1879
Training in mathematics and physics
Born in Edinburgh, Maxwell studied there and at Cambridge before teaching in Aberdeen and London. His investigations combined mathematical reasoning with experiments, including colour measurement and physical models, rather than consisting solely of abstract equations.
References: [1]
From lines of force to field equations
Developing Faraday’s ideas about lines of force, Maxwell expressed the connections between electricity and magnetism mathematically. The calculated propagation speed agreed with that of light, supporting an electromagnetic interpretation. Later experiments extended the evidence to electromagnetic waves outside the visible range.
Gases and statistical descriptions
Maxwell investigated the distribution of molecular speeds in gases, connecting microscopic motion with bulk properties through statistics. He also analysed the stability of Saturn’s rings and argued for many small particles. The investigations applied mathematical tools to very different physical scales.
References: [1]
Building an experimental institution
Appointed Cambridge’s first Cavendish Professor of Experimental Physics in 1871, Maxwell helped design and organize the laboratory opened in 1874. His Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism appeared in 1873, alongside this institutional work in experimental training.