Lenz Emil Khristianovich- famous Russian physicist. Author of the law of determining direction induction current(Lenz's rule) and co-author of the law on thermal effects electric current(Joule-Lenz law). Spent a number fundamental research on the effect of current on dissimilar conductors, developed methods for calculating the magnets of electromagnets for building electrical machines.

Emily Khristianovich Lenz was born February 12, 1804 in the city of Dorpat on the territory modern Estonia in the family of the secretary of the city magistrate. He began his studies at private school hometown and then moved on to high school. With early years, while still a schoolboy, young Emilius became interested in natural sciences, mathematics and study foreign languages. Even then, in the future physicist, a craving for knowledge and discoveries arose. At the age of 16, he entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Dorpat. In his third year, Lenz loses his father, and a difficult financial situation forced to transfer from the physical to the theosophical faculty of the university. The future career of a theologian, of course, was not included in the plans of the young scientist, and at the request of one of the university professors, he goes to circumnavigation as a young physicist.

After a trip that lasted three years ( from 1823 to 1826) Emil Khristianovich Lenz moved to St. Petersburg already as a mature and experienced scientist. A year later, he brilliantly defended his doctoral dissertation based on the results of oceanological research and was soon elected to the post of adjunct in the department of physics at St. Petersburg University. In 1830 he was elected an extraordinary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and after 4 years - its academician.

Throughout the scientific and teaching activities Lenz did not stop doing research in the field of physics. In 1833 he discovers a law for determining the direction of the inductive current, later called "Lenz's law". According to this law, the direction of the inductive current is always opposite to the direction of the action that causes it. In 1838 he conducts experiments confirming the thermoelectric phenomenon of heat release or absorption when an electric current passes through a contact (junction) of two dissimilar conductors. In 1844 the scientist, independently of his colleague James Joule, discovers a physical law that establishes the thermal effect of an electric current. Subsequently, this law is called the "Joule-Lenz law" in honor of its discoverers. In 1847 Emily Khristianovich conducts experiments on the polarization of electrodes.

Lenz's contribution to the development of physics and electronics is simply invaluable. His research and discoveries made possible development existing areas physicists and discovered the prerequisites for the emergence of new ones. Together with his colleague Boris Semenovich Jacobi, he developed methods for calculating the parameters of electromagnets for building electrical machines. The great scientist has died January 29, 1865 in Italy, where the day before he went for treatment of a serious eye disease. The scientist was also buried in a foreign land in Rome in one of the Protestant cemeteries.

After graduating from high school, Lenz entered the University of Dorpat, where he specialized in physics and chemistry.

Heinrich Lenz or Heinrich Friedrich Emil Lenz, better known as Emil Khristianovich Lenz, was born in 1804 in Dorpat, today it is Estonian city Tartu (Tartu, Estonia). After graduating from high school, Lenz entered the University of Dorpat, where he specialized in physics and chemistry.

In 1823, Heinrich was accepted as a full-time physicist on board the sailing sloop "Enterprise", which set off on a trip around the world. The expedition was led by a remarkable Russian traveler and navigator Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue. By the way, the recommendation to the young physicist was then given by the professors of his university. This experience turned out to be incredibly useful to Lenz, who at that time had the opportunity to start his own scientific activity, making observations in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. At the same time, he created several unique instruments for deep-sea observations - a winch-depth gauge and a bathometer.

The journey took three years, which was enough to process and analyze the data obtained. He presented his report at the Academy of Sciences and in 1828 he became an adjunct of the Academy in the field of physics, and in 1834 - an academician.

In the late 1820s, Lenz worked extensively in southern Russia, conducting geophysical surveys.

In 1829, Lenz again became a member of the most interesting expedition - the first ascent of Elbrus, led by General Georgy Arsenievich Emmanuel. During the trip, Lenz came to a very important findings, by determining the height of the mountain in a barometric way, and he was also able to prove that the Black Sea is higher in level than the Caspian.

In 1830, Lenz returned to St. Petersburg - he was to big job processing of his observations and materials. In 1832 and 1836 he published the most important observations and conclusions obtained during the expedition.

By the way, it was during that period - in the early and mid-1830s that Lenz became interested in the phenomenon of electromagnetism, which the great physicists Ampère (André-Marie Ampère) and Faraday (Michael Faraday) had closely studied before him. It was Lenz who managed to formulate the law that determined the direction of the induced current, and today this law is known as Lenz's Law.

In the late autumn of 1833, Lenz again made a report at the Academy of Sciences, in 1834 his discovery was enough to be elected an academician in physics.

A couple of years later, in 1836, Lenz headed the Department of Physics and physical geography Petersburg University, and in 1840 became dean of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. Later, already in 1863, Emil Khristianovich Lenz became the rector of the university. By that time he was already the author of many curricula and manuals, among which was the "Guide to Physics" for gymnasiums, which was reprinted more than ten times.

In general, Lenz greatly improved the teaching of physics at the university, and his famous students were D.I. Mendeleev, K.A. Timiryazev, Shvedov, N.P. Sluginov and many other remarkable Russian scientists. His fundamental work "Physical Geography" was published in 1851 and subsequently reprinted several times around the world. In this work, Lenz showed the structure earth's crust, and also revealed the origin and movement of the rocks that form it; as a result, the scientist proved that the earth's crust is constantly changing, and the process of these changes affects general relief continents.

It was Lenz who discovered the regularity between the daily and annual temperature variations; he also examined the wind; steam condensate; evaporation of water; clouds and their formation. The scientist was able to explain the blue color of the sky, as well as the phenomenon of a rainbow, circles around the Sun and Moon, and many other previously obscure atmospheric phenomena.

It was Lenz who called solar radiation main reason processes taking place in the atmosphere.

So, the scientist attached simply great value research in the field of physical geography - his task was to determine the laws by which certain observed phenomena occur.

In 1845, Lenz joined the Council of the newly created Russian Geographical Society, and such remarkable Russian admirals and geographers as I.F. Kruzenshtern, F.P. Wrangel, K.M. Baer. In this organization, Lenz worked until the end of his life.

Having devoted more than 30 years of his life to teaching physics, Lenz also taught in other educational institutions - Marine Corps, Pedagogical Institute, Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy.

Another key achievement in physics was the Joule–Lenz law discovered by Lenz in 1844; this rule states: the amount of heat generated by the current in the conductor is proportional to the square of the current strength and the resistance of the conductor. This discovery was a very important prerequisite for the subsequent law of conservation and transformation of energy.

In 1864, an eye disease forced the scientist to interrupt all activities - he urgently went for treatment to Rome (Rome, Italy). Vision soon returned, Lenz began to read again and even tried to work again. Unfortunately, this remission turned out to be very short - on January 29, 1865, Emil Khristianovich Lenz died suddenly of a stroke while in Rome. He was buried in one of the Roman cemeteries.

Emily Khristianovich Lenz (1804-1865), Russian physicist and electrical engineer, academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1830), rector of St. Petersburg University (since 1863). Established (1833) a rule named after him, experimentally substantiated the Joule-Lenz law (1842). He gave methods for calculating electromagnets (together with B. S. Jacobi), discovered the reversibility of electrical machines. Works on geophysics.

Fundamental discoveries in the field of electrodynamics are associated with the name of Lenz. Along with this, the scientist is rightfully considered one of the founders of Russian geography.

Emil Lenz was born on February 24, 1804 in Dorpat (now Tartu). In 1820 he graduated from the gymnasium and entered the Dorpat University. Lenz began his independent scientific activity as a physicist in round the world expedition on the sloop "Enterprise" (1823-1826), which was included on the recommendation of university professors. In very short term he, together with the rector E.I. Parrothom created unique instruments for deep-sea oceanographic observations - a winch-depth gauge and a bathometer. On the voyage, Emilius Lenz carried out oceanographic, meteorological and geophysical observations in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 1827, he processed the received data and analyzed them. In February 1828, Lenz submitted to the Academy of Sciences a report “Physical observations made during world travel under the command of Captain Otto von Kotzebue in 1823, 1824, 1825 and 1826. For this work, which received very appreciated, in May 1828, Lenz was elected an adjunct of the Academy in physics.

In 1829-1830, Lenz was engaged in geophysical research in southern regions Russia. In July 1829, he participated in the first ascent of Elbrus and determined the height of this mountain by barometric method. In the same way, he established that the level of the Caspian Sea is lower than the Black Sea.

In September 1829, Emily Lenz carried out gravitational and magnetic observations at the Nikolaev Observatory according to the program compiled by Alexander Humboldt, and a little later - in Dagestan. He collected samples of oil and combustible gases in the vicinity of Baku, and also installed a trough in this city to monitor the level of the Caspian Sea.

In May 1830, Emil Lenz returned to St. Petersburg and began processing the collected materials. The most important scientific results of the expedition were published by him in 1832 and 1836. In March 1830, even before returning to St. Petersburg, he was elected an extraordinary academician.

A remarkable feature of Lenz as a scientist was a deep understanding physical processes and the ability to discover their patterns. From 1831 to 1836 he studied electromagnetism. In the early thirties of the last century, Ampere and Faraday created several essentially mnemonic rules for determining the direction of the induced current (induction current). But the main result was achieved by Lenz, who discovered the law that determined the direction of the induced current. It is now known as the Lenz rule.

Lenz's rule revealed the main regularity of the phenomenon: the induced current always has such a direction that its magnetic field opposes the processes that cause induction. On November 29, 1833, this discovery was reported to the Academy of Sciences. In 1834, Lenz was elected an ordinary academician in physics.

In 1836, Emil Lenz was invited to St. Petersburg University and headed the Department of Physics and Physical Geography. In 1840, he was elected dean of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, and in 1863, rector of the university. From the mid-thirties, along with research in the field of physics and physical geography, Lenz led a large pedagogical work: for many years he headed the Department of Physics at the Main Pedagogical Institute, taught at the Naval Corps, at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School. In 1839, he compiled a "Guide to Physics" for Russian gymnasiums, which went through eleven editions. Lenz significantly improved teaching physical disciplines at the university and other educational institutions. Among his students were D.I. Mendeleev, K.A. Timiryazev, P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, F.F. Petrushevsky, A.S. Saveliev, M.I. Malyzin, D.A. Lachinov, M.P. Avenarius, F.N. Shvedov, N.P. Sluginov.

In 1842, independently of James Joule, Lenz discovered the law according to which the amount of heat released during the passage of an electric current is directly proportional to the square of the current strength, the resistance of the conductor and time. He appeared as one of important prerequisites establishment of the law of conservation and transformation of energy.

The amount of heat released in the conductor is directly proportional to its resistance, the square of the current strength and the time of current flow through the conductor.

Together with Boris Semenovich, Jacobi Lenz was the first to develop methods for calculating electromagnets in electrical machines, and established the existence of an "armature reaction" in the latter. Discovered the reversibility of electrical machines. In addition, he studied the dependence of the resistance of metals on temperature.

Emilius Lenz also achieved great achievements in research in the field of physical geography, the main task which, in his opinion, “consists in determining: by what physical laws phenomena that we observe are happening and have been happening.

In 1845, on the initiative of a number of prominent geographers, including admirals F.P. Litke, I.F. Krusenstern, F.P. Wrangel, academicians K.M. Baer, ​​P.I. Koeppen, the Russian Geographical Society was created. October 7 at the first general meeting full members of the Academy of Sciences was elected by its Council of seven people, which included Lenz. Until the end of his life, Emily Khristianovich performed in Geographic Society great diversified work.

In 1851, the fundamental work of Emil Lenz "Physical Geography" was published, which was later repeatedly reprinted in Russia and abroad. Lenz considered the structure of the earth's crust, the origin and movement of the rocks that form it, and showed that it is constantly changing and that this process affects the relief of the continents. He noted three the most important factors, causing a continuous change in the surface of the land: "volcanic forces, the influence of waters with the assistance of the atmosphere, and, finally, organic beings." Lenz convincingly showed that in order to establish the laws that govern atmospheric processes, long-term meteorological observations in various regions, carried out by precise instruments according to a single method, are necessary. He discovered important regularities in the daily and annual course of air temperature and pressure, wind activity, water evaporation, water vapor condensation and the formation of clouds, electrical and optical phenomena in the atmosphere: explained the origin blue color the sky, rainbows, circles around the Sun and Moon, and a number of rare atmospheric phenomena.

A Russian scientist has established the cause of a slight increase in water temperature with depth in the zone south of 51 degrees south latitude and noted that a similar reversal of this characteristic should take place in the Arctic Ocean. Thus, he anticipated the outstanding discovery of F. Nansen, who discovered during the expedition in 1893-1896 warm Atlantic waters in deep layers Arctic Basin. Emilius Lenz found that the salinity of water changes little with depth, and in the upper layer it decreases with latitude. However, the highest salinity is not observed in equatorial zone, and in areas near the tropics, due to strong evaporation in these areas. The density of water increases with latitude and with depth. The main reason for this change is the decrease in water temperature in these directions.

Emilius Lenz came to the conclusion that due to the increase in the density of water with latitude in the World Ocean, along with the currents caused by the wind and the slope of the level, there must be a general and no less strong movement. surface water from the tropical zone to the high latitudes and the movement of deep waters from these areas to the tropical zone. Such a circulation, the existence of which has been confirmed by all subsequent observations, is one of the the most important reasons water exchange between low and high latitudes. It, in particular, determines the flow of cold waters from the South, as well as from the North arctic oceans deep layers of temperate and low latitudes. Lenz gave valuable guidelines to determine the velocities of currents in a navigational way, he was the first to suggest that the orbits of particles in wind baths are ellipses.

Of great importance for the development of Earth science is Lenz's position, according to which the main cause of the processes occurring in the atmosphere is solar radiation.

The studies started by Lenz were later continued by A.P. Voenkov, M.P. Milankovitch and other scientists. They occupy one of the central places in modern climatology.

Emil Lenz concluded that the largest part solar radiation absorbed by the oceans. This energy is spent mainly on the evaporation of water, causing its circulation in the epigeosphere. Therefore, the oceans, huge reservoirs of heat and moisture, play a gigantic role in shaping the Earth's climate. Lenz showed the importance of studying processes in the World Ocean in relation to processes in other parts of the epigeosphere. Along with the American scientist M.F. Mori, he was the founder of the doctrine of the interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere.

Lenz's book played very big role in the development of the Earth sciences, in the assertion of a materialistic view of nature. Immediately after the release, she was highly appreciated in the magazines Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski. Prominent geographers S.O. Makarov, M.A. Rykachev, Yu.M. Shokalsky, L.S. Berg and others have repeatedly noted the accuracy of oceanographic observations, the reliability and great importance scientific results obtained by Lenz.

“Lenz’s observations are not only the first in chronological terms, but also the first in quality, and I put them above my own observations and above those of the Challenger,” wrote Admiral Makarov. “Thus, the works of Kotzebue and Lenz,” Yu.M. Shokalsky, - represent in many respects not only an important contribution to science, but also the real beginning of accurate observations in oceanography, which the Russian fleet and Russian science can be proud of.

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(1804-1865) Russian physicist and electrical engineer

Emil Khristianovich Lenz was born in the ancient Baltic city of Derpt (now the city of Tartu in Estonia). At baptism he received the name Heinrich Friedrich Emil. After graduating from the gymnasium in 1820, the young man entered the Dorpat University, where he attracted everyone's attention. serious attitude for learning and excellence.

In 1823-1826 Emil Lenz took part together with famous navigator Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue on a round-the-world trip on the sloop "Enterprise" as a physicist and naturalist of the expedition. Here his inventive talent was clearly manifested. Lenz also took part in expeditions to the Caucasus and the Crimea, where he spent research work in astronomy and geophysics. The success of Emil Khristianovich was evidenced by the fact that immediately upon his return in 1828 he was elected an adjunct in physics of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and six years later - an ordinary academician (i.e., a full member of the Academy). Emily Khristianovich Lenz began his activity at the Academy of Sciences with the reorganization of the physics laboratory and the formulation of a whole series of works on electromagnetism. He laid the foundations of the ballistic measurement method physical quantities, contributed to the recognition and development of Ohm's law. In 1833 he established a rule for determining the direction electromotive force induction, called "Lenz's rule", which made it possible for the German naturalist Hermann Helmholtz to obtain an expression for the EMF of induction based on the law of conservation and transformation of energy.

Repeating experiments English physics Davy, who discovered that when the wire was heated, electrical resistance increases, Lenz found the dependence of the electrical conductivity of metals on temperature.

Studying the thermal effect of current, Emilius Khristianovich, independently of the English physicist James Joule, discovered in 1842 the law thermal action electric current. This law is now called the Joule-Lenz law.

Together with Boris Semenovich Jacobi (1801-1874), a famous Russian physicist and electrical engineer, he was the first to develop methods for calculating electromagnets in electrical machines, discovered the reversibility of electrical machines.

Many of the achievements of Emil Lenz were ahead of their time. They were forgotten about, and half a century later they were opened again.

He was a versatile and incredibly hardworking man. In addition to doing scientific work, he was also fond of oceanography and geophysics, was an academician and administrator, a university professor and taught in many educational institutions. From 1835 to 1841 Lenz taught at the Marine cadet corps, in 1836 he headed the department of physics and physical geography of St. Petersburg University. In 1840, he was first elected dean of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, and from 1863 - rector of the university. From 1848 to 1861, Emil Khristianovich Lenz taught at the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy, and in 1851-1859 he lectured at the Main Pedagogical Institute. Young people crowded around him everywhere - his assistants and students. Lenz's students were F. F. Petrushevsky, F. N. Shvedov, R. E. Lenz, A. I. Saveliev and other remarkable scientists who contributed huge contribution in the development of physical science.

Lenz wrote several textbooks and manuals, which were very popular and reprinted several times. His lectures and textbooks, as well as scientific work were clear and systematic.

Emily Khristianovich Lenz died on February 10, 1865 at the age of 61. He is an example of honest and selfless service to his homeland - Russia.

Was born. in Dorpat on February 12, 1804, died in Rome on January 29, 1864. He received his education at the University of Dorpat, studying theology, philology and natural sciences. Failing to finish here full course, Lenz in 1823 was invited by a physicist to the round-the-world Kotzebue (1823-1826). During the journey, he made important observations in the field of physical geography. The results of the scientific research of this expedition were published by him in the Memoirs of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1831).

In 1827, on his return from an expedition, Lenz received his doctorate from the University of Heidelberg; in the same year he began teaching physics at St. Peter's School, at the Main Pedagogical Institute. His lectures on physics and physical geography were distinguished by remarkable clarity and strict systematicity. His well-known manuals of physics (for the gymnasium) and physical geography had the same qualities; both textbooks went through several editions, but the first of them was especially widespread. Just as brilliant and fruitful was scientific activity Academician Lenz.

In 1828, Lenz was appointed as an adjunct to the Academy of Sciences, where he read his memoir: "On salinity sea ​​water and its temperature in the oceans at the surface and in the depths".

In 1829 he took part in a new scientific expedition to the Caucasus for magnetic, thermometric, barometric and geognostic observations and research in the vicinity of Elbrus, under scientific beginning Kupfer and general guidance.

In 1830, with the astronomer Knorre, he made observations on the swing of a pendulum on the shores of the Caspian Sea. An interesting account of his trip was published in "Recueil des actes", at the same time Lenz published studies on changes in the water level in the Caspian Sea and other observations made by him during the trip, as well as scientific results round the world trip with Kotzebue. In the same year, 1830, Lenz was appointed an extraordinary academician and director of the physics cabinet at the Academy of Sciences. He also begins teaching physics at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School.

In 1834 he was a member of a committee chaired by Admiral Greig to build an observatory and an inspector of educational institutions and private boarding houses in the capital.

In 1836, Lenz was invited to the Department of Physics at St. Petersburg University, where, through the efforts of his physics office, he was put in excellent order. AT next year he took part in an expedition with Goebel and Klaus to the southern steppes, the result of which was his composition: "Reisen in die Steppen des südlichen Russlands". In 1839 he gave a speech at the university act: "Ueber die practischen Anwendungen des alwanismus".

In 1840, Lenz was awarded a doctorate from the University of Helsingfors.

In 1851 he was appointed professor Pedagogical Institute, but he did not stop giving lectures in physics at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School to Grand Dukes Konstantin, Nikolai and Mikhail Nikolaevich and Grand Duchesses Olga and Alexandra Nikolaevna.

In 1863, Lenz, who until that time had been dean of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics for more than 20 years, was elected rector and remained in this position until his death.

In the history of physics scientific works he will always be given a place of honor. Many of his Scientific research relate to physical geography (on the temperature and salinity of the sea, on the variability of the level of the Caspian Sea, on the barometric measurement of heights, on the measurement of magnetic inclination and intensity terrestrial magnetism and etc.). But mainly he worked in the field of electromagnetism. Main results his research is presented in all physics textbooks. Exactly:

"Law of Induction" ("Lenz's Rule") (1834), in which the direction of the inductive current is always such that it prevents the action (eg movement) by which it is caused.
(1842): The amount of heat generated by current in a conductor is proportional to the square of the current and the resistance of the conductor.
Experiments confirming the "Peltier phenomenon"; if a galvanic current is passed through bismuth and antimony rods, soldered at the ends and cooled to 0 ° C, then it is possible to freeze water poured into a hole near the junction (1838).
Experiments on the polarization of electrodes (1847), etc.

Lenz's rule. Experience shows that the direction of the inductive current in the circuit depends on whether the magnetic flux penetrating the contour, as well as from the direction of the induction vector magnetic field about the contour. General rule, allowing to determine the direction of the induction current in the circuit, was established in 1833 by E. X. Lenz.
Lenz's rule can be visualized with with the help of a lung aluminum ring (Fig. 195).