How did Tesla measure electromagnetic fields, etc?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on how Nikola Tesla measured electromagnetic fields, considering the limitations of his time and the evolution of measurement instruments. Participants explore historical methods and the development of technology relevant to electromagnetic measurement.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Historical

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that Tesla lacked modern measurement equipment.
  • Another suggests that variations on the compass needle could provide reasonable precision, referencing C.F. Gauss's work from 1832.
  • A participant highlights that the time period of Tesla's activity influenced the available instruments, mentioning that electromechanical devices and early electronic instruments became more prevalent by WWI.
  • One contribution describes Hertz's method of measuring electromagnetic fields by assessing the length of the spark at a receiver, which utilized a resonant loop with a spark gap.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present various methods and historical contexts for measuring electromagnetic fields, but there is no consensus on a singular approach or the specifics of Tesla's techniques.

Contextual Notes

Discussion reflects on the evolution of measurement technology and the historical context of Tesla's work, with some assumptions about the capabilities of instruments available during his time.

Macoleco
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
He didn’t have the modern equipment we have today.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
You can be reasonably precise with variations on the compass needle.
A lot of work was already done by C.F. Gauss and published in 1832.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/110344.pdf
 
It depends a bit on the time period since Tesla was active when many of these instruments were developed. Quite a instruments can actually be built using electromechanics (Moving coil multiimeters are still used) and once you introduce vacuum tubes (early 20th century) you can build simple versions of many "modern" electronic instruments.
By WWI you could e.g. get pretty good wavemeters etc
 
Hertz did it by measuring the length of spark at the receiver, which was a resonant loop with a spark gap.
 

Similar threads

Electromagnetic field under different perspective
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
EMF (Electromagnetic Field) & EHS (Electromagnetic Hyper Sensitivity)
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
Where is the strongest intensity of an electromagnetic field produced by a solenoid?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Electromagnetic field vs electromagnetic wave "radiation"
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Electromagnet magnetic field issue
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
2K
Need an electromagnet to play Chess
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
5K
Need help doing force calculations with magnetism (between magnets)
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
4K
Are Tesla Coils really special?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Measuring low Electromagnetic field
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Electromagnet & Magnetic field range in milliseconds?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K