Jean-Baptiste Biot

Biography

Raise Louis-the-Large College , it enters first of all to the École of the Highways Departments in January 1794, then with the Polytechnic school as of its foundation in November 1794. It again joined the School of the Highways Departments in October 1795. He becomes then mathematics professor with the central school of the Département of Oise in March 1797, then inspector of exit at the Polytechnic school of September 1799 until in 1806. He is called in November 1801 with the pulpit of mathematical physics to the Collège de France, following P.A.J. Cousin for whom the pulpit of Greek and Latin philosophy had been tranformé in pulpit of general physics in 1769. He is elected member of the Academy of Science in 1803, at the 29 years age. He makes in 1804 a perilous rise aerostatic with Gay-Lussac, with the altitude of 13.000 feet, in order to study the magnetic, electric and chemical characteristics of the atmosphere. In 1806, it accompanies Arago in Spain, to finish there the triangulation of meridian initiated by Méchain.

Biot is especially known to have studied and have established with Persoz the laws of the rotation of the plan of polarization of the light crossing a liquid solution. On the basis of these results, it uses the Saccharimètre to determine the nature and the quantity of sugars present in a solution. He also formulates, with Felix Savart, the Loi of Biot-Savart, which gives the value of the Magnetic field produces in a point of the space by a Electric current according to the distance from this point to the conducting . Biot also gave its name to the Biotite.

He is science doctor in August 1809. Holder of the pulpit of astronomy of the Faculty of Science of 1809 with 1848, it is between 1816 and 1826 in charge of the teaching of physics for acoustics, magnetism and optics, Gay-Lussac teaching heat, gases, the hygroscopy, electricity and the galvanism. He is recalled to the functions of professor of astronomy in March 1826. He is prize winner of the Médaille Rumford in 1840. Named astronomer associated with the Office of longitudes in 1806, he becomes titular astronomer in 1825. He is elected member of the Academy of Science in 1800, of the Académie of the inscriptions and the humanities in 1841 and of the French Academy in 1856. He is foreign member of the Royal Society as of 1815.

He is senior of the Faculty of Science of Paris starting from 1840, succeeding Louis Jacques Thénard. He is put at the retirement like professur with the Faculty of Science in 1849.

His/her son is the engineer and sinologist Edouard Biot.

Principal works

Test on the general history of sciences during the French revolution (1795-1803)
Treated analytical of the curves and surfaces of the second degree (1802)
Memory on affinities of the bodies for the light, and particularly on the refringent forces of the différens gas, by Misters Biot and Arago (1806)
analytical Test of geometry, applied to the curves and surfaces of the second order (1805)
Research to the extraordinary refractions which take place close to the horizon (1810)
elementary Traité of physical astronomy (1810)
experimental and mathematical Research on the mouvemens of the molecules of the light around their center of gravity (1814)
Treated of experimentic and mathematical physics (1816)
Precise elementary of experimental physics (1817)
Collection of geodetic, astronomical and physical observations, carried out by order of the Office of longitudes of France in Spain, in France, in England and Scotland, to determine the variation of gravity and the terrestrial degrees on the prolongation of the Meridian of Paris (1821)
Research on several points of Egyptian astronomy applied to the found astronomical monumens in Egypt (1823)
elementary Concepts of statics (1829)
Memory on the true constitution of the terrestrial atmosphere, deducted from the experiment, with its applications to the measurement heights by the barometric observations and to the calculation of the refractions (1841)
Memory on the circular zodiac of Dendérah (1844)
Treated physical astronomy (6 volumes, 1850)
Tcheou-Li, or Rites of Tcheou, translated for the first time of Chinese by fire Edouard Biot (1851)
scientific Mixtures and arts persons (1858)
Studies on Indian astronomy and Chinese astronomy (1862)

External bonds

Biographical note of the French Academy
Jean-Baptiste Biot on Channel Academy
Biography

Partial source

Random links: