Main Entry: oer·sted

Pronunciation: \ˈər-stəd\

Function: noun

: the cgs unit of magnetic field strength equal to the intensity of a magnetic field in a vacuum in which a unit magnetic pole experiences a mechanical force of one dyne in the direction of the field

Oer·sted \ˈœ̅r-steth, -stəd; ˈə(r)-stəd\ Hans Christian (1777–1851), Danish physicist. Oersted was a professor of physics at the University of Copenhagen, and in 1820 he reported his discovery that a compass needle—a magnet—moved to a position at right angles to the direction of an electric current. This discovery established that a relationship exists between electricity and magnetism, and it marked the foundation of the science of electromagnetism, to which Ampère and Faraday later made significant contributions. The cgs unit of magnetic field strength was named in Oersted's honor.