A scholarly biography combines narrative of the scientist's family background, upbringing, and university years with accounts of academic appointments and laboratory leadership, and describes both experimental investigations and theoretical advances. It outlines studies of colour vision, molecular and kinetic ideas of matter, electrical experiments, and the gradual formulation and exposition of electromagnetic theory, explaining key concepts and their development for a nonmathematical readership. Chapters balance biographical detail with technical exposition, illustrating how classroom teaching, laboratory building, and research projects interacted to produce major contributions to modern physics.