Electricity and electromagnetism

Abstract

Abstract From their beginning in the eighteenth century, the electrical sciences have given rise to many new words such as electromagnetism, ion, electron, superconductivity, and transistor. The many-sided history of electricity is followed with an emphasis on neologisms and other linguistic aspects. Moreover, a number of related terms and concepts are investigated from a linguistic point of view, including the theory of relativity and the so-called Weber–Fechner law as manifested in various units and scales (decibel, the pH scale, and the Richter scale). One of the sections is devoted to the terminology of solid-state physics.