physics

Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval

Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval rather than just read about it. In short: Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval (8 June 1851 – 31 December 1940) was a French physician, physicist and inventor of the moving-coil d'Arsonval galvanometer and the thermocouple ammeter. D'Arsonval was an important contributor to the emerging field of electrophysiology, the study of the effects of electricity on biological organisms, in the nineteenth century.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval (8 June 1851 – 31 December 1940) was a French physician, physicist and inventor of the moving-coil d'Arsonval galvanometer and the thermocouple ammeter. D'Arsonval was an important contributor to the emerging field of electrophysiology, the study of the effects of electricity on biological organisms, in the nineteenth century.

Life D'Arsonval was born in the Château de la Borie, in La Porcherie, Haute Vienne, France. He studied medicine in Limoges and Paris and obtained his medical degree in 1877. From 1873 to 1878 he was assistant to Claude Bernard, one of the founders of experimental physiology. After Bernard’s death he assisted Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard (1817-1894), giving his lectures, and when Brown-Séquard died in 1894 replaced him as professor at College de France. Influenced by Bernard, d'Arsonval decided to devote his life to research. In 1892, he became director of the new laboratory of biophysics at the College de France and continued in that post until 1910. His main contributions were in electrophysiology. From 1889 d'Arsonval did the first research on the physiological effects of alternating current on the body. He discovered that currents with frequency over 5,000 Hz did not cause the muscular contractions and nerve stimulation effects of electric shock. Instead they seemed to have beneficial effects. He pioneered the therapeutic application of high frequency current to the body, founding the field of electrotherapy. He developed a spark-excited resonant circuit to generate currents of 0.5-2 MHz called "D'Arsonval currents" for therapy, which became known as "D'Arsonvalization". It was later used for diathermy. In 1881, d'Arsonval proposed tapping the thermal energy of the ocean. D'Arsonval's student, Georges Claude, built the first ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant in Cuba in 1930. He was awarded the Prix Montyon in 1882 and was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1884, with Grand Cross in 1931. D'Arsonval crater on the Moon was named after him in 1976.

See also Oudin coil Arthur Constantin Krebs

References

Further reading Culotta, Charles A. (1970). "Arsonval, Arsène D'". Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 302–305. ISBN 0-684-10114-9.

External links https://web.archive.org/web/20040419113144/http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/~eugeniik/history/arsonval.html

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval

In research: Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1851 births, 1940 deaths, 19th-century French inventors, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval in simple terms?

Why does Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval.