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The actual magnetic compass used by Oersted. It is held by the Polytechnic Institute of Copenhagen. Here it is shown sitting on a surviving copy of Oersted's epochal announcement, in Latin, of his discovery of electromagnetism. Hans Christian Ì÷rsted (August 14, 1777 - March 9, 1851) was a Danish physicist and chemist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields, an important aspect of electromagnetism and leader of the Danish Golden Age (first half of 19th century). In 1820 Ì÷rsted noticed a compass needle deflected from magnetic north when an electric current from a battery was switched on and off, showing a relationship between electricity and magnetism. His initial interpretation was that magnetic effects radiate from all sides of a wire carrying an electric current, as do light and heat. He began more intensive investigations and published his findings, showing that an electric current produces a circular magnetic field as it flows through a wire. In 1825, Ì÷rsted made a significant contribution to chemistry by producing aluminium for the first time isolating the element via a reduction of aluminium chloride. The unit of magnetic induction (oersted) is named for his contributions to the field of electromagnetism. He died at Copenhagen in 1851 at the age of 73.
