XL National Congress of the Italian Society for the History of Physics and Astronomy

Saverio Barlocci and the First Electromagnetic Experiments in Rome

8 Sept 2020, 10:15

25m

sisfa 2020 Duecento anni di elettromagnetismo

Speaker

Prof. Mantovani, Roberto (University of Urbino Carlo Bo - Dept. of Pure and Applied Sciences)

Description

The talk discusses the scientific work of Saverio Barlocci (1774-1845) and some of his remarkable electromagnetic experiments. In the years 1814-1845 Barlocci was the first lay professor to hold the chair of Experimental Physics at the La Sapienza University in Rome. Among his numerous scientific activities stand out, for importance, the electromagnetic experiments he “instituted” in the years 1821-1822 at the Physics Cabinet of Rome University. After Oersted's famous announcement in 1820, Barlocci was the first physicist in Rome to spread, comment and replicate the Danish physicist's original experiment. He also replicated other experiments that, after the discovery, had been presented in Paris by Arago, Ampère and other French scientists. In 1826 Barlocci published an interesting essay on Electromagnetism where he collected the most significant electromagnetic experiences that could be performed in a Physics Laboratory. For this purpose, he reduced most of the proposed devices into a simpler and more suitable form for educational use. This essay was among the very first attempts in Italy to offer a complete set of experiments capable of effectively illustrating the new and emerging science of Electromagnetism.

Short bibliography
Barlocci S. (1821a). Sopra alcune esperienze elettriche, lettera del Professor Saverio Barlocci al chiarissimo signor professor Domenico Morichini. Giornale Arcadico, IX, pp. 350-355.
Barlocci S. (1821b). Rapporto del professor Saverio Barlocci sopra alcune sperienze elettro-magnetiche istituite nel gabinetto fisico dell’Università di Roma. Giornale Arcadico, X, pp. 426-435.
Barlocci S. (1822). Continuazione del rapporto sulle sperienze elettro-magnetiche istituite nel gabinetto fisico dell’Università di Roma dal professor Saverio Barlocci. Giornale Arcadico, XIII, pp. 37-57.
Barlocci S. (1826). Saggio di Elettro-Magnetismo dedotto dagli esperimenti istituiti nel Gabinetto Fisico della Università di Roma da Saverio Barlocci professore di Fisica Sperimentale in detta Università e membro del Collegio Filosofico. Roma: Nella stamperia di Filippo e Nicola De Romanis.