Energy in Electromagnetism: The Poynting Vector [Historical Corner]

John Henry Poynting (1852-1914) [Figure 1(a)] was born in Lancashire, England, and he was the youngest son of Thomas Elford Poynting, a Unitarian minister who was also the teacher in the local school that young John Henry attended. Poynting later attended Owens College in Manchester, England (1867-1872), where he studied physics under the guidance of Osborne Reynolds (1842-1912) and Balfour Stewart (1828-1887).