© Barnard Castle School Department of Physics 2008, 2009
Text and Questions © Paul McHarry / Keith Gibbs
Years 7-9
IGCSE
GCSE
Pre-U
A-level
Fast Links
Famous Physicists
Can't put a face to those names you hear mentioned in passing by your Physics teacher?
This is the page where you can learn a little about some of the most famous physicists - of today and of the past - and see what they look like!
Is your favourite physicist not here?
Would you like to see a picture of one of those without a photo?
Let us know the name via our contact page.
This is the page where you can learn a little about some of the most famous physicists - of today and of the past - and see what they look like!
Is your favourite physicist not here?
Would you like to see a picture of one of those without a photo?
Let us know the name via our contact page.
A selection of the greatest physicists, cosmologists and astronomers of today and yesterday
A
Ampere, Andre Marie 1775-1836
Gave his name to the unit for electric current. Worked on the magnetic effect of an electric current and the theory of refraction of light. A French scientist who was born at Polémieux, near Lyon. Professor of mathematics in Paris. Proposed the law of force between two electric currents known as Ampere's Law. He was the first person to develop ways of measuring an electric current using a sensitive galvanometer.
Anderson, Carl David 1905-1991
American physicist. Discovered the positron (1932) and anti matter in general. He was awarded the Nobel prize for this in 1936. Discovered the muon in 1935.
Archimedes of Syracuse 287-212 BC
Greek scientist and mathematician. Best known for his studies of statics and hydrodynamics. Proposed Archimedes principle (240 BC). Archimedian screw for raising water. Killed at the siege of Syracuse.
Aristotle (Greek) 384-322 BC
Logician and scientist and a disciple of Plato. Four element theory – earth, air, fire and water. He even added a fifth – the ether. Earth centred idea of the solar system. Projectile paths – a body could only move in one direction at a time – things went up in a straight line at an angle, reached the top of their path and then fell straight down to the ground. He believed that a continual force was needed to keep an object moving.
B
Becquerel, Antoine Henri 1852-1909
French physicist. He investigated fluorescence crystals to see if they produced X rays and this led to his early work on radioactivity. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1903 for discovering radioactivity. Study of phosphorescence.
Bernoulli, Daniel 1700-1782
A Swiss mathematician who explained much of the theory of Fluid flow. Proposed some of the basic ideas of the kinetic theory of gases (1738).
Bohr, Niels 1885-1962
Theory of the atom. Energy level structure. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this work in 1922. Explained the process of nuclear fission.
Boltzmann, Ludwig 1844-1906
Austrian physicist. Developed statistical mechanics and applied it to the kinetic theory of gases and thermodynamics. Boltzmann's constant. Distribution of molecular speeds in a gas.
Boyle, Robert 1627-1691
Irish scientist and philosopher. Proved that air has weight. Study of the behaviour of gases. Boyle's Law – published 1663.
C
Cavendish, Henry 1731-1810
British physicist and chemist. Identified hydrogen in 1776. Used the torsion balance to make the first measurement of the Universal Constant of Gravitation in a laboratory. This was done in a shed on Clapham Common on the outskirts of London. Experimental proof of the inverse square law of electrostatics (1772).
Celsius, Anders 1701-1744
Swedish astronomer who proposed the Celsius scale of temperature in 1742
Chadwick, James 1891-1974
British nuclear physicist. Discovered the neutron for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1935.
Charles, Jacques Alexandre Cesar 1746-1823
French physicist and mathematician. Discovered the law named after him for the expansion of a gas – Charles' Law.
Copernicus, Nicholas 1473-1543
Born in Torun, Poland. Copernicus is the Latin form of his name. Geocentric theory of the solar system. In 1514 he 'published' a small hand written book which he gave to some of his friends. In it he proposed the following:
There is no one centre in the universe.
The Earth's centre is not the centre of the universe.
The centre of the universe is near the sun.
The distance from the Earth to the sun is imperceptible compared with the distance to the stars.
The rotation of the Earth accounts for the apparent daily rotation of the stars.
The apparent annual cycle of movements of the sun is caused by the Earth revolving round it.
The apparent retrograde motion of the planets is caused by the motion of the Earth from which one observes.
Coulomb, Charles Augustin 1736-1806
Born in Angouleme, France. Developed the torsion balance as an accurate way of measuring the forces between electric charges. Also worked on magnetic fields. Gives his name to the law of force between electric charges proposed by Joseph Priestley in 1766. Invented a form of torsion balance.
Crookes, Sir William 1832-1919
British physicist and chemist. Electron studies. Discharge in gases. Properties of cathode rays.
Curie, Marie 1867-1934
Radioactivity. Nobel Prize in 1903 for discovering radioactivity. Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911 for discovering radium and polonium and isolating radium.
Curie, Pierre 1859-1906
Radioactivity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 for discovering radioactivity.
D
De Broglie, Louis Victor 1892-1987
French physicist. Proposed an equation for the wavelength of a particle. Discovered the wave nature of electrons in 1923 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this work in 1929.
Dirac, Paul Adrien Maurice 1902-1984
Born in Bristol, England. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1933 for his work on wave mechanics (1925) and relativistic quantum mechanics (1927). Quantum electrodynamics. Predicted the existence of antiparticles.
E
Einstein, Albert 1879-1955
German-Swiss Physicist. Later a naturalised American. Developed the theories of Special and General relativity. Proposed his photoelectric equation based on the quantum theory in 1905 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this in 1921. Proposed the idea of stimulated emission that led to the development of the laser some forty years later.
Empedocles 495-435 BC
Greek philosopher. Optical tentacles theory of vision (444 BC). Proposed that all matter was composed of four elements – earth, air, fire and water.
F
Faraday, Michael 1791-1867
Electromagnetic induction. Faraday's laws of electrochemistry. Developed the first electric motor and dynamo. He not only refused a knighthood but also the Presidency of the Royal Society. Laws of electrolysis. Idea of magnetic lines of force. First to observe the rotation of the plane of polarisation in a magnetic field.
Fermi, Enrico 1901-1954
Developed the first atomic pile in a squash court in Chicago in 1942. First controlled chain reaction. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1938 for discovering new radioactive elements and for his work on slow neutrons.
G
Galileo1564-1642
A professor of Physics and military engineering at the University of Padua. He discovered the moons of Jupiter, sunspots, the phases of Venus and the craters on the Moon. He is also credited as being the first to use a telescope for astronomy. Discovered the constancy of the period of a pendulum.
Gamow, George 1904-1968
An American Physicist. Realised that the existence of cosmic background radiation provided experimental evidence for the Big bang.
Geiger, Hans Wilhelm 1882- 1945
German physicist. Work on atomic theory and cosmic rays. Invented the Geiger tube for detecting radioactivity.
Gell-Mann, Murray 1929-
American theoretical physicist. Originator of the quark hypothesis. Nobel prize in 1969 for his work on the classification and interaction of sub-atomic particles.
H
Halley, Edmund 1656-1742
Astronomer. Discovered and identified Halley's comet in 1705. Great friend of Newton.
Hawking, Stephen 1942-
British theoretical Physicist, Mathematician and Astrophysicist. Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, the chair once held by Isaac Newton. Discovered that black holes do emit radiation. now named "Hawking Radiation".
Heisenberg, Werner Karl 1901-1976
German physicist. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1932 for the development of quantum mechanics. Proposed the Uncertainty principle (1927).
Hertz, Heinrich Rudolf 1857-1894
German physicist. Worked on the properties of cathode rays. Discovered the photoelectric effect in 1887. Experimental demonstration of wireless waves (1888). Professor in Bonn at the age of thirty two.
Hooke, Robert 1635-1703
British physicist. Elasticity. Hooke's law, discovered about 1600 and published in 1676. Invented the conical pendulum and the air pump. Provided the experiments for the Royal Society. Worked closely with Robert Boyle. Fell into acrimonious dispute with Newton.
Hubble, Edwin 1889-1953
Law of the expansion of the universe.
Huygens, Christiaan 1629-1695
A Dutch physicist, mathematician and astronomer. Wave theory of light. He made his own lenses and fitted them to a twelve foot long telescope. Using this instrument he discovered the rings of Saturn. Published his mathematical work on the theory of light 'Traite de la Lumiere' in 1690. His work in mechanics included the formula for centripetal force, moment of inertia and the laws of impact and collision. In 1673 he dedicated his major work on the pendulum clock to the king.
I
J
Joule, James Prescott 1818-1889
One of the founders of the idea of energy conversion. The unit of energy is named after him. Paddle wheel experiment. Initially interested in the efficiency of electric motors. Born in Manchester, England to a wealthy brewing family.
K
Kapitza, Pyotr Leonidovich 1894- 1984
Russian physicist. Work on low temperatures and especially the superfluidity of liquid helium.
Kepler, Johannes 1571- 1630
Pupil of Tycho (see Tycho). Developed Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. He was the son of poor peasants and had a difficult and hard life. He thought that the planets were held in orbit round the Sun by a magnetic force.
Kirchoff, Gustav Robert 1824-1887
German physicist. Laws of electrical conduction in networks. Laws of emission and absorption of radiation. Discovered the elements rubidium and caesium (1861). Explained the Fraunhofer lines in the spectrum of the Sun.
L
Lenz, Heinrich Friedrich Emil 1804-1864
Russian physicist. Proposed the law of electromagnetic induction now named after him – direction of the induced e.m.f (1834). He also studied geophysics.
Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519
Artist and inventor. Helicopter. One of the first to realise that moonlight was reflected light. Explained the principles of simple machines like pulleys, levers and balances. A believer in the idea of impetus. Studied ballistics.
M
Mach, Ernst 1838-1916
Austrian physicist and philosopher who discovered the Mach effect – motion of sources faster than the wave speed.
Maskelyne, Nevil 1732-1811
British astronomer. Astronomer Royal 1765-1811. Measurement of the Universal constant of Gravitation using Schiehallion, a mountain in Perthshire. Observed a transit of Venus from St Helena.
Maxwell, James Clerk 1831-1879
Born in Scotland. Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism published in 1873 rivals Newton's Principia on Mechanics. He devised the formulae known as Maxwell's equations of electromagnetic radiation. Proposed the mathematical theory of Electromagnetic induction and predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves. Discovered that light consisted of electromagnetic waves.
Meintner, Lise 1878-1968
Austrian physicist. Discovered protoactinium (1918). Liquid drop theory of the nucleus. Fission of a nucleus by neutron bombardment (1934).
Michelson, Albert Abraham 1852-1931
Born in Poland and then emigrated to the U.S.A when he was two years old. Measurement of the speed of light. Measured the diameter of stars with a Michelson interferometer. The Michelson-Morley experiment disproves the existence of the ether. He gained the Nobel prize for Physics, the first American to do so, in 1907.
Millikan, Robert Andrews 1868-1953
An American Physicist. Measurement of the charge on an electron (1911) and the experimental study of the photoelectric effect (1914) earned him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1923.
Morley, Edward Williams 1838-1923
American physicist. Work with Michelson on the experiment to disprove the existence of the ether.
Moseley, Henry Gwyn Jeffreys 1887-1915
British physicist. Worked on X ray spectra. Killed in the First World War when only 28 years old.
N
Newton, Sir Isaac 1642-1727
English scientist. Author of Principia (1687) (mechanics) and Optiks (1704) (optics). Studied the visible spectrum. Developed the Particle theory of light. Proposed the theory of Universal Gravitation. Invented differential and integral calculus. Devised Newton's Laws of motion. He analysed the problem of dispersion and it was this that led him to develop the first reflecting telescope. In 1698 he became Master of the Royal Mint.
O
Oersted, Hans Christian 1757-1851
Danish physicist. Deflection of compass needle by the magnetic field of an electric current. Discovered that an electric current produces a magnetic field.
Ohm, George Simon 1787-1854
German physicist who discovered Ohm's law. Equation for resistance
Olbers, Heinrich 1758-1840
German astronomer and physician. Olbers paradox . Discovered the second and third asteroids. Devised a method for calculating the orbits of comets (1797). One of 1815 named after him (period 72.7 years).
Oppenheimer, Robert 1904-1967
American physicist. Leader of the Manhattan project that developed the atomic bomb at Los Alamos in the Alamagordo desert in new Mexico in 1945.
P
Penzias, Arno and Wilson, Robert W
1965 Discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation and were awarded the Nobel Prize for this in 1978.
Perrin, Jean-Baptiste 1870-1942
French physicist. Perrin tube. Discovered that cathode rays were electrons. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1926 for his work on Brownian motion and the size of atoms.
Planck, Max Karl 1858-1947
Equation for the energy of a quantum. Studied thermodynamics in particular the distribution of energy emitted by a hot object with wavelength. Planck's radiation formula 1900. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918. His son Erwin was executed for plotting to assassinate Hitler.
Plato 427-347 BC
Greek philosopher, scientist and mathematician.
Ptolemy 070-147 AD
Greek philosopher. He returned to the Earth centred idea of the universe, but he modified it by introducing the idea of the epicycle. This was to help explain the apparent backward or retrograde motion of the planets when seen from the Earth. He said that the planets moved around small circles which themselves moved around big circles round the Earth.
Q
R
Roentgen, Konrad von 1845-1923
Professor of Physics at Würzburg. X ray studies. Discovered X rays in 1895 gaining the Nobel Prize for this in 1901. The first Nobel prize for Physics.
Rutherford, Ernest 1871-1937
Born in New Zealand. Proposed the disintegration theory of radioactivity with Soddy in 1903 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this in 1908. In 1911 he devised the nuclear theory of the atom following alpha particle studies, the so called Rutherford scattering. In 1919 he achieved the first artificial disintegration of an atom.
S
Sagan, Carl 1934-1996
American astronomer. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Did much to popularise Astronomy and Cosmology.
Schrödinger, Erwin 1887-1961
Austrian physicist. Proposed the Wave equation to describe energy states within an atom. Received the Nobel Prize in 1933 for his work on Wave mechanics (1925) and relativistic quantum mechanics (1927).
Snell, Willebrod 1591-1626
Discovered the law that we now know as Snell's law of refraction in 1621 but did not publish it until 1703. In 1613 he succeeded his father as professor of mathematics at Leiden. One of the first to use triangulation as a way of measuring distances.
Soddy, Frederick 1877-1956
British physicist. Proposed the disintegration theory of radioactivity with Rutherford in 1903.
Sommerfeld, Arnold 1868-1951
German physicist. Proposed the existence of elliptical electron orbits in atoms and helped develop the quantum theory of atomic structure.
Stefan, Josef 1835-1893
Slovenian physicist. Proposed the Stefan-Boltzmann law for black body radiation
T
Thomson, J.J 1856-1940
Work on the electron. Invented the deflection tube to measure e/m.
Thomson, William Lord Kelvin 1824-1907
Theory of electrical oscillations in an LCR circuit. Developed the foundation of thermodynamics. Invented the quadrant electrometer.
Tycho Brahe 1546-1601
Danish nobleman and astronomer. Used his influence with King Frederick to have an observatory built in 1576 on the island of Uraniborg. It was the first real scientific institution of the modern world. He measured the positions of the planets over a period of twenty years. (see Kepler). Discovered a nova in Cassiopeia in 1572 and a comet in 1577.
U
V
Van de Graaff, Robert Jemison 1901-1967
American physicist – invented the Van de Graaff generator.
Volta, Count Alessandro 1745-1827
Born in Como, Italy. Developed the voltaic pile – the forerunner of the modern battery in 1800. The electric unit the volt is named after him
Von Braun, Wernher 1912-1977
German rocket scientist. The 'father' of all modern liquid fuel rockets.
Von Guericke, Otto 1602-1686
A German physicist. Air pump. First to carry out the Magdeburg hemispheres experiment (1657). Inventor of the first electrical machine in 1660, a sulphur globe some 20 cm in diameter that could give off sparks when rubbed.
Von Laue, Max 1879-1960
Showed that X rays could be diffracted by a crystal (1912). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for this work in 1914.
W
Watt, James 1736-1819
British engineer who gave his name to the unit for power.
Wheatstone, Sir Charles 1802-1875
English physicist. Invented the Wheatstone bridge as a method of comparing and measuring resistances. Measured the speed of electric discharge in conductors. Invented the electric telegraph first installed commercially in 1838.
Wien, Wilhelm 1864-1928
German physicist. His work on the energy distribution in black body radiation led directly to the development of the quantum theory. Nobel Prize in 1911 for discovering this law.
Wilson, Charles Thomson Rees 1869-1959
British physicist. Invented the cloud chamber (1911). Received the Nobel prize for this work in 1927.
X
Y
Young, Thomas 1773-1829
Developed the wave theory of light. Interference. Elasticity. Interpretation of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Discovered the action of the ciliary muscles of the eye and the phenomenon of astigmatism.
Z
Pieter, Zeeman 1865-1943
Netherlands physicist. Discovered and explained the splitting of spectral lines in a magnetic field - the effect named after him. Director of the Amsterdam Physics laboratory for thirty five years. Nobel prize for Physics in 1902.
Ampere, Andre Marie 1775-1836
Gave his name to the unit for electric current. Worked on the magnetic effect of an electric current and the theory of refraction of light. A French scientist who was born at Polémieux, near Lyon. Professor of mathematics in Paris. Proposed the law of force between two electric currents known as Ampere's Law. He was the first person to develop ways of measuring an electric current using a sensitive galvanometer.
Anderson, Carl David 1905-1991
American physicist. Discovered the positron (1932) and anti matter in general. He was awarded the Nobel prize for this in 1936. Discovered the muon in 1935.
Archimedes of Syracuse 287-212 BC
Greek scientist and mathematician. Best known for his studies of statics and hydrodynamics. Proposed Archimedes principle (240 BC). Archimedian screw for raising water. Killed at the siege of Syracuse.
Aristotle (Greek) 384-322 BC
Logician and scientist and a disciple of Plato. Four element theory – earth, air, fire and water. He even added a fifth – the ether. Earth centred idea of the solar system. Projectile paths – a body could only move in one direction at a time – things went up in a straight line at an angle, reached the top of their path and then fell straight down to the ground. He believed that a continual force was needed to keep an object moving.
B
Becquerel, Antoine Henri 1852-1909
French physicist. He investigated fluorescence crystals to see if they produced X rays and this led to his early work on radioactivity. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1903 for discovering radioactivity. Study of phosphorescence.
Bernoulli, Daniel 1700-1782
A Swiss mathematician who explained much of the theory of Fluid flow. Proposed some of the basic ideas of the kinetic theory of gases (1738).
Bohr, Niels 1885-1962
Theory of the atom. Energy level structure. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this work in 1922. Explained the process of nuclear fission.
Boltzmann, Ludwig 1844-1906
Austrian physicist. Developed statistical mechanics and applied it to the kinetic theory of gases and thermodynamics. Boltzmann's constant. Distribution of molecular speeds in a gas.
Boyle, Robert 1627-1691
Irish scientist and philosopher. Proved that air has weight. Study of the behaviour of gases. Boyle's Law – published 1663.
C
Cavendish, Henry 1731-1810
British physicist and chemist. Identified hydrogen in 1776. Used the torsion balance to make the first measurement of the Universal Constant of Gravitation in a laboratory. This was done in a shed on Clapham Common on the outskirts of London. Experimental proof of the inverse square law of electrostatics (1772).
Celsius, Anders 1701-1744
Swedish astronomer who proposed the Celsius scale of temperature in 1742
Chadwick, James 1891-1974
British nuclear physicist. Discovered the neutron for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1935.
Charles, Jacques Alexandre Cesar 1746-1823
French physicist and mathematician. Discovered the law named after him for the expansion of a gas – Charles' Law.
Copernicus, Nicholas 1473-1543
Born in Torun, Poland. Copernicus is the Latin form of his name. Geocentric theory of the solar system. In 1514 he 'published' a small hand written book which he gave to some of his friends. In it he proposed the following:
There is no one centre in the universe.
The Earth's centre is not the centre of the universe.
The centre of the universe is near the sun.
The distance from the Earth to the sun is imperceptible compared with the distance to the stars.
The rotation of the Earth accounts for the apparent daily rotation of the stars.
The apparent annual cycle of movements of the sun is caused by the Earth revolving round it.
The apparent retrograde motion of the planets is caused by the motion of the Earth from which one observes.
Coulomb, Charles Augustin 1736-1806
Born in Angouleme, France. Developed the torsion balance as an accurate way of measuring the forces between electric charges. Also worked on magnetic fields. Gives his name to the law of force between electric charges proposed by Joseph Priestley in 1766. Invented a form of torsion balance.
Crookes, Sir William 1832-1919
British physicist and chemist. Electron studies. Discharge in gases. Properties of cathode rays.
Curie, Marie 1867-1934
Radioactivity. Nobel Prize in 1903 for discovering radioactivity. Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911 for discovering radium and polonium and isolating radium.
Curie, Pierre 1859-1906
Radioactivity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 for discovering radioactivity.
D
De Broglie, Louis Victor 1892-1987
French physicist. Proposed an equation for the wavelength of a particle. Discovered the wave nature of electrons in 1923 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this work in 1929.
Dirac, Paul Adrien Maurice 1902-1984
Born in Bristol, England. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1933 for his work on wave mechanics (1925) and relativistic quantum mechanics (1927). Quantum electrodynamics. Predicted the existence of antiparticles.
E
Einstein, Albert 1879-1955
German-Swiss Physicist. Later a naturalised American. Developed the theories of Special and General relativity. Proposed his photoelectric equation based on the quantum theory in 1905 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this in 1921. Proposed the idea of stimulated emission that led to the development of the laser some forty years later.
Empedocles 495-435 BC
Greek philosopher. Optical tentacles theory of vision (444 BC). Proposed that all matter was composed of four elements – earth, air, fire and water.
F
Faraday, Michael 1791-1867
Electromagnetic induction. Faraday's laws of electrochemistry. Developed the first electric motor and dynamo. He not only refused a knighthood but also the Presidency of the Royal Society. Laws of electrolysis. Idea of magnetic lines of force. First to observe the rotation of the plane of polarisation in a magnetic field.
Fermi, Enrico 1901-1954
Developed the first atomic pile in a squash court in Chicago in 1942. First controlled chain reaction. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1938 for discovering new radioactive elements and for his work on slow neutrons.
G
Galileo1564-1642
A professor of Physics and military engineering at the University of Padua. He discovered the moons of Jupiter, sunspots, the phases of Venus and the craters on the Moon. He is also credited as being the first to use a telescope for astronomy. Discovered the constancy of the period of a pendulum.
Gamow, George 1904-1968
An American Physicist. Realised that the existence of cosmic background radiation provided experimental evidence for the Big bang.
Geiger, Hans Wilhelm 1882- 1945
German physicist. Work on atomic theory and cosmic rays. Invented the Geiger tube for detecting radioactivity.
Gell-Mann, Murray 1929-
American theoretical physicist. Originator of the quark hypothesis. Nobel prize in 1969 for his work on the classification and interaction of sub-atomic particles.
H
Halley, Edmund 1656-1742
Astronomer. Discovered and identified Halley's comet in 1705. Great friend of Newton.
Hawking, Stephen 1942-
British theoretical Physicist, Mathematician and Astrophysicist. Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, the chair once held by Isaac Newton. Discovered that black holes do emit radiation. now named "Hawking Radiation".
Heisenberg, Werner Karl 1901-1976
German physicist. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1932 for the development of quantum mechanics. Proposed the Uncertainty principle (1927).
Hertz, Heinrich Rudolf 1857-1894
German physicist. Worked on the properties of cathode rays. Discovered the photoelectric effect in 1887. Experimental demonstration of wireless waves (1888). Professor in Bonn at the age of thirty two.
Hooke, Robert 1635-1703
British physicist. Elasticity. Hooke's law, discovered about 1600 and published in 1676. Invented the conical pendulum and the air pump. Provided the experiments for the Royal Society. Worked closely with Robert Boyle. Fell into acrimonious dispute with Newton.
Hubble, Edwin 1889-1953
Law of the expansion of the universe.
Huygens, Christiaan 1629-1695
A Dutch physicist, mathematician and astronomer. Wave theory of light. He made his own lenses and fitted them to a twelve foot long telescope. Using this instrument he discovered the rings of Saturn. Published his mathematical work on the theory of light 'Traite de la Lumiere' in 1690. His work in mechanics included the formula for centripetal force, moment of inertia and the laws of impact and collision. In 1673 he dedicated his major work on the pendulum clock to the king.
I
J
Joule, James Prescott 1818-1889
One of the founders of the idea of energy conversion. The unit of energy is named after him. Paddle wheel experiment. Initially interested in the efficiency of electric motors. Born in Manchester, England to a wealthy brewing family.
K
Kapitza, Pyotr Leonidovich 1894- 1984
Russian physicist. Work on low temperatures and especially the superfluidity of liquid helium.
Kepler, Johannes 1571- 1630
Pupil of Tycho (see Tycho). Developed Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. He was the son of poor peasants and had a difficult and hard life. He thought that the planets were held in orbit round the Sun by a magnetic force.
Kirchoff, Gustav Robert 1824-1887
German physicist. Laws of electrical conduction in networks. Laws of emission and absorption of radiation. Discovered the elements rubidium and caesium (1861). Explained the Fraunhofer lines in the spectrum of the Sun.
L
Lenz, Heinrich Friedrich Emil 1804-1864
Russian physicist. Proposed the law of electromagnetic induction now named after him – direction of the induced e.m.f (1834). He also studied geophysics.
Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519
Artist and inventor. Helicopter. One of the first to realise that moonlight was reflected light. Explained the principles of simple machines like pulleys, levers and balances. A believer in the idea of impetus. Studied ballistics.
M
Mach, Ernst 1838-1916
Austrian physicist and philosopher who discovered the Mach effect – motion of sources faster than the wave speed.
Maskelyne, Nevil 1732-1811
British astronomer. Astronomer Royal 1765-1811. Measurement of the Universal constant of Gravitation using Schiehallion, a mountain in Perthshire. Observed a transit of Venus from St Helena.
Maxwell, James Clerk 1831-1879
Born in Scotland. Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism published in 1873 rivals Newton's Principia on Mechanics. He devised the formulae known as Maxwell's equations of electromagnetic radiation. Proposed the mathematical theory of Electromagnetic induction and predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves. Discovered that light consisted of electromagnetic waves.
Meintner, Lise 1878-1968
Austrian physicist. Discovered protoactinium (1918). Liquid drop theory of the nucleus. Fission of a nucleus by neutron bombardment (1934).
Michelson, Albert Abraham 1852-1931
Born in Poland and then emigrated to the U.S.A when he was two years old. Measurement of the speed of light. Measured the diameter of stars with a Michelson interferometer. The Michelson-Morley experiment disproves the existence of the ether. He gained the Nobel prize for Physics, the first American to do so, in 1907.
Millikan, Robert Andrews 1868-1953
An American Physicist. Measurement of the charge on an electron (1911) and the experimental study of the photoelectric effect (1914) earned him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1923.
Morley, Edward Williams 1838-1923
American physicist. Work with Michelson on the experiment to disprove the existence of the ether.
Moseley, Henry Gwyn Jeffreys 1887-1915
British physicist. Worked on X ray spectra. Killed in the First World War when only 28 years old.
N
Newton, Sir Isaac 1642-1727
English scientist. Author of Principia (1687) (mechanics) and Optiks (1704) (optics). Studied the visible spectrum. Developed the Particle theory of light. Proposed the theory of Universal Gravitation. Invented differential and integral calculus. Devised Newton's Laws of motion. He analysed the problem of dispersion and it was this that led him to develop the first reflecting telescope. In 1698 he became Master of the Royal Mint.
O
Oersted, Hans Christian 1757-1851
Danish physicist. Deflection of compass needle by the magnetic field of an electric current. Discovered that an electric current produces a magnetic field.
Ohm, George Simon 1787-1854
German physicist who discovered Ohm's law. Equation for resistance
Olbers, Heinrich 1758-1840
German astronomer and physician. Olbers paradox . Discovered the second and third asteroids. Devised a method for calculating the orbits of comets (1797). One of 1815 named after him (period 72.7 years).
Oppenheimer, Robert 1904-1967
American physicist. Leader of the Manhattan project that developed the atomic bomb at Los Alamos in the Alamagordo desert in new Mexico in 1945.
P
Penzias, Arno and Wilson, Robert W
1965 Discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation and were awarded the Nobel Prize for this in 1978.
Perrin, Jean-Baptiste 1870-1942
French physicist. Perrin tube. Discovered that cathode rays were electrons. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1926 for his work on Brownian motion and the size of atoms.
Planck, Max Karl 1858-1947
Equation for the energy of a quantum. Studied thermodynamics in particular the distribution of energy emitted by a hot object with wavelength. Planck's radiation formula 1900. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918. His son Erwin was executed for plotting to assassinate Hitler.
Plato 427-347 BC
Greek philosopher, scientist and mathematician.
Ptolemy 070-147 AD
Greek philosopher. He returned to the Earth centred idea of the universe, but he modified it by introducing the idea of the epicycle. This was to help explain the apparent backward or retrograde motion of the planets when seen from the Earth. He said that the planets moved around small circles which themselves moved around big circles round the Earth.
Q
R
Roentgen, Konrad von 1845-1923
Professor of Physics at Würzburg. X ray studies. Discovered X rays in 1895 gaining the Nobel Prize for this in 1901. The first Nobel prize for Physics.
Rutherford, Ernest 1871-1937
Born in New Zealand. Proposed the disintegration theory of radioactivity with Soddy in 1903 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for this in 1908. In 1911 he devised the nuclear theory of the atom following alpha particle studies, the so called Rutherford scattering. In 1919 he achieved the first artificial disintegration of an atom.
S
Sagan, Carl 1934-1996
American astronomer. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Did much to popularise Astronomy and Cosmology.
Schrödinger, Erwin 1887-1961
Austrian physicist. Proposed the Wave equation to describe energy states within an atom. Received the Nobel Prize in 1933 for his work on Wave mechanics (1925) and relativistic quantum mechanics (1927).
Snell, Willebrod 1591-1626
Discovered the law that we now know as Snell's law of refraction in 1621 but did not publish it until 1703. In 1613 he succeeded his father as professor of mathematics at Leiden. One of the first to use triangulation as a way of measuring distances.
Soddy, Frederick 1877-1956
British physicist. Proposed the disintegration theory of radioactivity with Rutherford in 1903.
Sommerfeld, Arnold 1868-1951
German physicist. Proposed the existence of elliptical electron orbits in atoms and helped develop the quantum theory of atomic structure.
Stefan, Josef 1835-1893
Slovenian physicist. Proposed the Stefan-Boltzmann law for black body radiation
T
Thomson, J.J 1856-1940
Work on the electron. Invented the deflection tube to measure e/m.
Thomson, William Lord Kelvin 1824-1907
Theory of electrical oscillations in an LCR circuit. Developed the foundation of thermodynamics. Invented the quadrant electrometer.
Tycho Brahe 1546-1601
Danish nobleman and astronomer. Used his influence with King Frederick to have an observatory built in 1576 on the island of Uraniborg. It was the first real scientific institution of the modern world. He measured the positions of the planets over a period of twenty years. (see Kepler). Discovered a nova in Cassiopeia in 1572 and a comet in 1577.
U
V
Van de Graaff, Robert Jemison 1901-1967
American physicist – invented the Van de Graaff generator.
Volta, Count Alessandro 1745-1827
Born in Como, Italy. Developed the voltaic pile – the forerunner of the modern battery in 1800. The electric unit the volt is named after him
Von Braun, Wernher 1912-1977
German rocket scientist. The 'father' of all modern liquid fuel rockets.
Von Guericke, Otto 1602-1686
A German physicist. Air pump. First to carry out the Magdeburg hemispheres experiment (1657). Inventor of the first electrical machine in 1660, a sulphur globe some 20 cm in diameter that could give off sparks when rubbed.
Von Laue, Max 1879-1960
Showed that X rays could be diffracted by a crystal (1912). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for this work in 1914.
W
Watt, James 1736-1819
British engineer who gave his name to the unit for power.
Wheatstone, Sir Charles 1802-1875
English physicist. Invented the Wheatstone bridge as a method of comparing and measuring resistances. Measured the speed of electric discharge in conductors. Invented the electric telegraph first installed commercially in 1838.
Wien, Wilhelm 1864-1928
German physicist. His work on the energy distribution in black body radiation led directly to the development of the quantum theory. Nobel Prize in 1911 for discovering this law.
Wilson, Charles Thomson Rees 1869-1959
British physicist. Invented the cloud chamber (1911). Received the Nobel prize for this work in 1927.
X
Y
Young, Thomas 1773-1829
Developed the wave theory of light. Interference. Elasticity. Interpretation of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Discovered the action of the ciliary muscles of the eye and the phenomenon of astigmatism.
Z
Pieter, Zeeman 1865-1943
Netherlands physicist. Discovered and explained the splitting of spectral lines in a magnetic field - the effect named after him. Director of the Amsterdam Physics laboratory for thirty five years. Nobel prize for Physics in 1902.
Andre Ampere
Archimedes
Henri Becquerel
Niels Bohr
Henry Cavendish
Nicholas Copernicus
Marie & Pierre Curie
Paul Dirac
Michael Faraday
Hans Geiger
Werner Heisenberg
Robert Hooke
Ernst Mach
Lise Meitner
Isaac Newton
Georg Ohm
Arno Penzias
Ernest Rutherford
Erwin Schrödinger
J J Thomson
CTR Wilson
Thomas Young