See also: Gilbert

William Gilbert (or William Gylberde ), born the May 24th 1544, with Colchester, in England, died of Bubonic plague the December 10th 1603, with London (?) of Elisabeth I {{Re}} was the doctor and of Jacques I {{er}} and a scientific researcher in the fields of the Magnétisme and the electricity.

Its first work was De Magnete, Magneticisque Corporibus, and of Magno Magnete Tellure (Of magnetism and the magnetic bodies, and Large Liking Earth) published in 1600. In this book it describes many its experiments with a ground model called Terrella. From these experiments, he concludes that the ground was Magnétique and that was the reason for which the Boussole indicates north (until at the time, one thought that it was the pole star or a large magnetic island with the north pole which attracted the compass). In its book, he also studied the static electricity by using the Ambre; amber names elektron in Greek, Gilbert thus decided to call it electricity .

A magnetic unit of Force is called the Gilbert in his honor.