Thomas Johann Seebeck

Thomas Johann Seebeck (1770–1831) was a German physicist whose experiments revealed that a temperature difference between joined materials can produce an electric current.

Seebeck effect: The production of an electric voltage across a conductor or circuit when its parts are at different temperatures. The thermoelectric effect Seebeck discovered bears his name.
Thermoelectric effect: The family of phenomena that couple temperature differences with electrical voltage or current. Seebeck’s observation is one member of this broader family.
Thermocouple: A temperature sensor made from two different conductors joined at a junction, producing a voltage that varies with temperature difference. Thermocouples use the effect Seebeck discovered to measure temperature.
Alessandro Volta: An Italian physicist known for developing the electric battery and studying electrical phenomena. Volta’s work on contact electricity shaped the scientific context in which Seebeck studied material junctions.
Thermoelectricity: The direct relationship between heat and electrical energy in materials and circuits. Seebeck’s discovery established a central phenomenon within thermoelectricity.
Thermoelectric voltage: An electrical potential difference generated by a temperature difference in a material or circuit. This measurable voltage is the direct electrical signature of the effect he found.
Thermoelectric generator: A device that converts a temperature difference directly into electrical power using thermoelectric materials. These generators turn Seebeck voltage into usable electrical output.
Georg Ohm: A German physicist who formulated the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance. Ohm’s later electrical laws helped make thermoelectric circuits quantitatively tractable.
Hans Christian Ørsted: A Danish physicist who discovered that electric currents produce magnetic effects. Ørsted publicized Seebeck’s findings and helped connect them to electromagnetism.
Temperature gradient: A change in temperature across space or through a material. A temperature gradient supplies the condition that drives thermoelectric voltage.

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Johann Wilhelm RitterRelated: He belonged to the experimental community studying radiation and its measurable effects.