Sir Charles Wheatstone FRS, 1802-1875
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Sir Charles Wheatstone FRS, 1802-1875
（History of technology series, 29）
Institution of Electrical Engineers in association with the Science Museum, c2001
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Note
Previous ed.: London : HMSO, 1975
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Charles Wheatstone began his life-long involvement with electrical engineering in the days when it was still at the stage of 'philosophical toys', yet he had a vision of telecommunications that could deliver printed messages around the world. With W.E. Cooke he developed the first practical electric telegraph. The problems of operating telegraphs over long distances led him into the field of electrical measurements.
Wheatstone was a major figure in Victorian science, making contributions in the fields of optics and acoustics as well as electrical engineering. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the scientific literature in several languages, and made connections which benefited not only his own work but also that of others. His research aided the development of the new King's College London into a centre of scientific excellence. He invented the concertina and the stereoscope, both very popular in the nineteenth century. He is usually remembered for the Wheatstone Bridge, which he did not invent but publicised in the course of a lecture on measurements. His early attempts to measure the speed of an electric current were inconclusive, but his later studies of signals in submarine cables contributed to the understanding of the effect of capacitance and inductance in cables. He made electric motors, including a linear motor. In his lifetime there was insufficient electric power to exploit them, but his self-excited generator indicated the way ahead.
This fascinating biography celebrates the bicentenary of Wheatstone's birth, and draws on information about the family business as well as letters, including correspondence with Cooke and Faraday, which were not available for the first edition, published by HMSO for the Science Museum in 1975.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: An extraordinary fellow
Chapter 2: Early life
Part 1: Sound and light
Chapter 3: Researches in sound
Chapter 4: Musical instrument manufacturer
Chapter 5: The stereoscope
Part 2: Electricty
Chapter 6: The velocity of electricity
Chapter 7: Professor Wheatstone
Chapter 8: Researches in electricity
Chapter 9: Electrical measurements
Part 3: The telegraph
Chapter 10: Early telegraphy
Chapter 11: The practical electric telegraph
Chapter 12: Submarine telegraphy
Chapter 13: The developing telegraph
Part 4: Sir Charles
Chapter 14: Wheatstone at home
Chapter 15: Later scientific work
Chapter 16: The public figure
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