Hippolyte Pixii
Encyclopedia
Hippolyte Pixii was an instrument maker from Paris
, France
. In 1832 he built an early form of alternating current
electrical
generator, based on the principle of magnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday
. Pixii's device was a spinning magnet, operated by a hand crank, where the North and South poles passed over a coil with an iron
core. A current pulse was experienced each time a pole passed over the coil. He also found that the current direction changed when the North Pole passed over the coil after the South pole and this of course was alternating current. Later on acting on a suggestion by André-Marie Ampère
other results were obtained by introducing a commutator, which produced a pulsating direct current
which at this time was much more preferred than alternating current. Although Pixii at the time did not fully understand electromagnetic induction, his device led to more sophisticated devices.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 1832 he built an early form of alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
electrical
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
generator, based on the principle of magnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday, FRS was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
. Pixii's device was a spinning magnet, operated by a hand crank, where the North and South poles passed over a coil with an iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
core. A current pulse was experienced each time a pole passed over the coil. He also found that the current direction changed when the North Pole passed over the coil after the South pole and this of course was alternating current. Later on acting on a suggestion by André-Marie Ampère
André-Marie Ampère
André-Marie Ampère was a French physicist and mathematician who is generally regarded as one of the main discoverers of electromagnetism. The SI unit of measurement of electric current, the ampere, is named after him....
other results were obtained by introducing a commutator, which produced a pulsating direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
which at this time was much more preferred than alternating current. Although Pixii at the time did not fully understand electromagnetic induction, his device led to more sophisticated devices.
External links
- Interactive Java Tutorial on the Pixii Machine invented by Hippolyte Pixii National High Magnetic Field Laboratory