The META Scholar Volume 6

GEORG SIMON OHM

Born March 16, 1789, Erlangen, Bavaria

[Germany]—died July 6, 1854, Munich), he was a

notable German physicist who discovered OHMS

law, named after him, which states that current flow

through a wire conductor is directly proportional

(equal to) to the potential difference (voltage) and

inversely proportional (not equal to) to resistance.

Later, the ohm symbol (Ω—Omega is the 24th and

last letter of the Greek alphabet) is adopted as the SI unit of resistance in theoretical electronics and

physics.

Georg came from a Protestant family. Johann

Wolfgang Ohm, his father was a locksmith and

Maria Elizabeth Beck, his mother was the daughter

of a tailor. Although both of his parents had not been properly educated, Johann was a remarkable selfeducated man and was able to give his sons an

excellent education through his own teachings.

In 1805, he entered the University of Erlangen

and received his doctorate degree. Georg wrote

elementary geometry while teaching mathematics at several schools. In 1820, he began experimental

work in a school of physics after he had learned of

the discovery of electromagnetism.

In 1826, Georg would propose laws that helped

explain the results of others working on galvanic

electricity. In 1827, he was able to publish his

famous book called "Die Galvanische Kette

Mathematisch Bearbeitet," that gave his complete

theoretical explanation of electricity. The book talks about the mathematical background necessary for an understanding of the rest of his works emphasizing a non-mathematical approach to physics. Despite Georg several attempts, he was unsuccessful in convincing the older German physicists that his mathematical approach was the right one.

As a result, Ohm's Law" is now the fundamental

law of electrical circuits, namely that "E"

(electromotive force) equals "I" (current) x "R"

(resistance).

E = I x R

Biomeds owe Georg Ohm a gratitude for his

research because the healthcare community most

likely would not have had a definitive way to

perform electrical safety resistance checks, perform

open circuit analysis using a digital ohmmeter, and

we would not have resistors today.