Reinterpreting Hertz’s Discovery of Electric Waves [Historically Speaking]

Heinrich Hertz’s discovery of electric waves in 1887–1888 marks a milestone in the history of science. Yet, his outcome implied a difference between the length of waves on a long straight wire and that of those in air from the same oscillator. This difference entailed either that wire waves travel slower than the speed of light or that air waves travel faster. A second reflection experiment in which the air wave interfered with itself yielded a value for its length consistent with that of the first experiment. We aim to explain the peculiarities of Hertz’s discovery by means of a theoretical model in conjunction with numerical simulation based on the environment in which Hertz worked. The model implies that the difference between the wire and air wavelengths was due to the room in which he worked acting as a waveguide. Guidance coupled to unavoidable inaccuracies in his method of measurement also accounts for the results of Hertz’s reflection experiment.