Hans Christian Ørsted (physicist)

Hans Christian Ørsted was a Danish physicist best known for discovering in 1820 that electric currents create magnetic fields. His experiment showed that when an electric current flows through a wire, it causes a nearby compass needle to move, revealing a connection between electricity and magnetism. This groundbreaking finding helped link these two forces, leading to the development of electromagnetism, which underpins many modern technologies like electric motors, transformers, and wireless communication. Ørsted's work was pivotal in advancing our understanding of fundamental physical laws and opened new avenues for scientific and technological innovation.