Samuel Hunter Christie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel Hunter Christie
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| Born | 22 March 1784 |
| Died | 24 January 1865 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Professor |
| Known for | First proposing the Wheatstone bridge |
Samuel Hunter Christie (born March 22, 1784 – died January 24, 1865) was a smart British scientist. He was a physicist, who studies how the world works, and a mathematician, who studies numbers and shapes. He is best known for inventing an important electrical circuit called the Wheatstone bridge.
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Early Life and Studies
Samuel Hunter Christie was born in London, England. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge to study mathematics. He was a very good student. He won a special award called the Smith's Prize. He also earned the title of "second wrangler," which means he was the second-best mathematics student in his year.
Discoveries and Work
Studying Magnets and Electricity
Christie was very interested in magnetism. This is the force that makes magnets stick to things. He studied the Earth's magnetic field, which is like a giant invisible magnet around our planet. He also helped make better magnetic compasses. These tools help people find their way using the Earth's magnetism. He worked with another mathematician named Peter Barlow on some of these magnetic studies.
The Wheatstone Bridge
In 1826, Samuel Christie became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a group of very important scientists. In 1833, he gave a special talk called the Bakerian Lecture. In this talk, he shared his "diamond" method. This method was a way to compare how well different wires could carry electricity. It was a very clever idea.
However, his method was not widely known at first. Ten years later, in 1843, another scientist named Charles Wheatstone used Christie's idea. Wheatstone showed how useful it was for measuring electrical resistance. Even though Wheatstone said it was Christie's invention, the device became known as the Wheatstone bridge. It is still used today to measure electrical resistance very accurately.
Teaching and Later Life
From 1838 to 1854, Christie taught mathematics. He worked at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. This is a school where people learn to become army officers. He retired in 1854.
Samuel Hunter Christie passed away in Twickenham, England, on January 24, 1865. A photograph of him from 1865 is kept at the National Portrait Gallery.
Family Life
Samuel Hunter Christie had ten children. Five children were with his first wife, and five with his second wife. Eight of his children were still alive when he passed away. His oldest son with his second wife was William Henry Mahoney Christie. He became a famous astronomer, someone who studies stars and planets.
Marriages
Samuel Hunter Christie was married twice:
- His first wife was Elizabeth Theadora. She passed away around 1844.
- His second wife was Margaret Ellen. They got married around 1844.
