Wilhelm Weber gets the distinction of having the unit of magnetic flux, the weber (Wb), named in his honor. Magnetic flux measures the total magnetic field that passes through a surface. 

(Wondering how to pronounce weber? Hear all about it from one of our researchers.)

The amount of magnetic flux depends on two things: the strength of the magnetic field and the size of the surface area those fields pass through. 

Measurement units are how we quantify stuff. If I say, “Hey, wow, it’s soooo hot today. It feels like 40 degrees Celsius,” the measurement unit is Celsius, and the quantity is 40. 

A monument to Gauss and Weber stands in Göttingen, Germany. Credit: MareikeG/Shutterstock

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