OHM, Georg Simon.

Berlin: Bei T.H. Riemann,1827

8vo, pp. iv, 245, (1), 1 engraved plate (bound as a frontispiece). With the errata leaf R1, often lacking, but without the extremely rare advertisement leaf R2 which is almost always lacking (the Dibner, Horblit/Evans, Norman, Waller and Wellcome copies, and the copy described by Horblit in Grolier Science, all lack it). Black half morocco and marbled paper sides (modern binding in the style of a German binding of the period). Small ink mark on title, some very light foxing in signature B, otherwise a fine and clean copy.

FIRST EDITION of one of the most important books in electrical science. In the field of electrical measurement Ohm was the great pioneer. His major contribution was to measure the rate of current flow and the effects of resistance on the current. “Ohm’s law”, that the resistance of a given conductor is a constant independent of the voltage applied or the current flowing, was arrived at theoretically by analogy with Fourier’s heat measurements in 1800-1814, and is the fundamental law of electrical circuits. The term ohm was adopted for the unit of electrical resistance in 1881. Die galvanische Kette contains the fully developed presentation of Ohm’s electrical theory. Printing and the Mind of Man 289. Horblit 81. Dibner, Heralds of Science, 63. Sparrow, Milestones of science, 154. Parkinson, Breakthroughs, 1827. Norman catalogue 1607. Wheeler Gift 835.

Unsure of some of these terms? Click here to download a copy of Carter & Barker, ABC for Book Collectors (2006), which has full explanations.