HERTZ, HEINRICH. - THE PRIZE-WINNING PAPER.

Versuche zur Feststellung einer oberen Grenze für die kinetische Energie der elektrischen Strömung.

Leipzig, Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1880. Without wrappers as issued in "Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Hrsg. von G. Wiedemann.", Neue Folge Bd. 10, 7. Heft With Titlepage to vol. 10.. Pp. 337-512 a. 1 folded plate, (entire issue offered "Heft" 7). Hertz's paper: pp. 414-448.

First printing of Hertz's first paper by which he won the Philosophical Faculty Prize (Berlin) in 1879, earning a medal, a first publication in Annalen der Physik and Helmholtz' deepening respect.

"To encourage experimental work in the notoriously difficult domain of unclosed currents, Helmholtz proposed for the prize of the Berlin Philosophical Faculty in 1878 a problem dealing with an implication of Weber’s theory: when oscillations of electricity are set up in an unclosed circuit, Weber’s hypothetical electrical inertia should reveal itself in a retardation of the oscillations. Through the experiments that Helmholtz had suggested on the self-induction of doubly wound spirals, Hertz won the Philosophical Faculty prize; he proved that the inertia of electricity is either zero or less than a very small value, thereby lending experimental support to Helmholtz’ theoretical judgment of the improbability of Weber’s theory."(DSB).

Order-nr.: 44840