Max Planck

German Theoretical Physicist

Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck: (1858 –1947), German theoretical
physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel
Prize for Physics in 1918.
Planck made many contributions to theoretical physics, but his fame
rests primarily on his role as originator of the quantum theory. Max
Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck was the sixth child of a distinguished jurist
and professor of law at the University of Kiel. The long family tradition
of devotion to church and state, excellence in scholarship,
incorruptibility, conservatism, idealism, reliability, and generosity
became deeply ingrained in Planck’s own life and work. When
Planck was nine years old, his father received an appointment at the
University of Munich, and Planck entered the city’s renowned
Maximilian Gymnasium, where a teacher, Hermann Müller,
stimulated his interest in physics and mathematics. But Planck
excelled in all subjects, and after graduation at age 17 he faced a
difficult career decision. He ultimately chose physics over classical
philology or music because he had dispassionately reached the
conclusion that it was in physics that his greatest originality lay.
 His contribution to Quantom Theory
PLANCK'S WORK IN THERMODYNAMICS LED TO THE FORMULATIONS OF HIS
QUANTUM THEORY. TO EXPLAIN THE COLORS OF HOT GLOWING MATTER, HE
PROPOSED THAT ENERGY IS RADIATED IN VERY MINUTE AND DISCRETE
QUANTIZED AMOUNTS OR PACKETS, RATHER THAN IN A CONTINUOUS
UNBROKEN WAVE. PLANCK CALLED THE PACKETS OF ENERGY QUANTA AND
HE WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE ENERGY OF EACH QUANTUM IS EQUAL
TO THE FREQUENCY OF THE RADIATION MULTIPLIED BY A UNIVERSAL
CONSTANT THAT HE DERIVED, NOW KNOWN AS PLANCK'S CONSTANT. THIS
NUMBER, EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF ERG-SECONDS, MEASURES THE ENERGY OF
AN INDIVIDUAL QUANTUM. AN ERG IS THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY NEEDED TO
RAISE A MILLIGRAM OF MASS BY A DISTANCE OF 1 CENTIMETER. PLANCK'S
CONSTANT, EXPRESSED BY THE VARIABLE H IN EQUATIONS, IS APPROXIMATELY
6.63 X 10(E-27) ERG-SECOND. PLANCK'S CONSTANT HAS BECOME ONE OF
THE BASIC CONSTANTS OF PHYSICS. IT IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE BEHAVIOR OF
PARTICLES AND WAVES AT THE ATOMIC SCALE.
Planck announced his findings in 1900, and in 1905, Albert Einstein used Planck's
quantum theory to describe the particle properties of light. Einstein demonstrated
that electromagnetic radiation, including light, has the characteristics of both a
wave and, consistent with Planck's theory, a particle. These particles were later
called photons. In 1913, Niels Bohr used Planck's theories to develop a new and
more accurate model of the atom.

Planck made significant contributions to science throughout his life. He is

recognized for his successful work in a variety of fields including, thermodynamics,
optics, statistical mechanics, and physical chemistry. Unfortunately, Planck's
personal life was marked by one tragedy after another. He lost his first wife to
illness, both of his daughters died in childbirth, his eldest son died in World War I,
and in 1944, his second son was executed by the Nazis for involvement in a plot to
assassinate Hitler. Planck remained in Germany during World War II and was
outspoken in his opposition to the Nazi regime. After the war, he was appointed
the head of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, which was renamed the Max Planck
Institute. Max Planck died soon afterward in 1947.
MAX PLANCK KNOWN FOR HIS:
THIRD LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS:
States that the Third Law of Thermodynamics
is concerned with the limiting
behavior of systems as the
temperature approaches absolute zero
PLANCK’S LAW OF RADIATION:
Describes the spectral density of electromagnetic
radiation emitted by a black body in thermal
equilibrium at a given temperature T
when there is no net flow of matter
or energy between the body and its
environment.
 ALBERT EINSTEIN
German Theoretical Physicist
Albert Einstein : (1879-1955), German-born theoretical physicist who
developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern
physics. His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of
science.He is best known to the general public for his mass–energy
equivalence formula E = mc2, which has been dubbed "the world's
most famous equation". He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in
Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his
discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect", a pivotal step in
the development of quantum theory.
Einstein published more than 300 scientific papers and more than
150 non-scientific works. His intellectual achievements and
originality have made the word "Einstein" synonymous with
"genius". Eugene Wigner wrote of Einstein in comparison to his
contemporaries that "Einstein's understanding was deeper even
than Jancsi von Neumann's. His mind was both more penetrating
and more original than von Neumann's. And that is a very
remarkable statement.
 His contribution to Quantom Theory
Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 “for his services to
theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the
photoelectric effect” and he made some essential contributions to
the early development of quantum theory.
Einstein was the first physicist to say that Planck's discovery of the
quantum (h) would require a rewriting of the laws of physics. To
support his point, in 1905 he proposed that light sometimes acts as a
particle which he called a light quantum (see photon and wave–
particle duality).
Albert Einstein: Inventions and Discoveries. As a physicist, Einstein had
many discoveries, but he is perhaps best known for his theory of
relativity and the equation E=MC2, which foreshadowed the
development of atomic power and the atomic bomb.
ALBERT EINSTEIN KNOWN FOR HIS:
LAW OF ENERGY:
States that the amount of energy added is relative to the mass gained by the
proton multiplied by the speed of light squared. In other words, a lot of energy
is converted into a relatively small amount of mass.
 NEILS BOHR
Danish physicist
Niels Henrik David Bohr: (1885-1962), was a Danish physicist who
made foundational contributions to understanding atomic
structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel
Prize in Physics in 1922. Bohr was also a philosopher and a
promoter of scientific research.
Bohr developed the Bohr model of the atom, in which he
proposed that energy levels of electrons are discrete and that
the electrons revolve in stable orbits around the atomic nucleus
but can jump from one energy level (or orbit) to another. Bohr
founded the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of
Copenhagen, now known as the Niels Bohr Institute, which
opened in 1920. Bohr mentored and collaborated with
physicists including Hans Kramers, Oskar Klein, George de
Hevesy, and Werner Heisenberg. He predicted the existence of
a new zirconium-like element, which was named hafnium, after
the Latin name for Copenhagen, where it was discovered.
Later, the element bohrium was named after him.
 His Contribution to Quantom Theory

IN 1913,NIELS BOHR PROPOSED A THEORY FOR THE HYDROGEN ATOM BASED ON

QUANTUM THEORY THAT ENERGY IS TRANSFERRED ONLY IN CERTAIN WELL DEFINED
QUANTITIES. ELECTRONS SHOULD MOVE AROUND THE NUCLEUS BUT ONLY IN
PRESCRIBED ORBITS. WHEN JUMPING FROM ONE ORBIT TO ANOTHER WITH LOWER
ENERGY, A LIGHT QUANTUM IS EMITTED.
BOHR'S STARTING POINT WAS TO REALIZE THAT CLASSICAL MECHANICS BY ITSELF
COULD NEVER EXPLAIN THE ATOM'S STABILITY. A STABLE ATOM HAS A CERTAIN SIZE
SO THAT ANY EQUATION DESCRIBING IT MUST CONTAIN SOME FUNDAMENTAL
CONSTANT OR COMBINATION OF CONSTANTS WITH A DIMENSION OF LENGTH. THE
CLASSICAL FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS--NAMELY, THE CHARGES AND THE MASSES
OF THE ELECTRON AND THE NUCLEUS--CANNOT BE COMBINED TO MAKE A LENGTH.
BOHR NOTICED, HOWEVER, THAT THE QUANTUM CONSTANT FORMULATED BY THE
GERMAN PHYSICIST MAX PLANCK HAS DIMENSIONS WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH
THE MASS AND CHARGE OF THE ELECTRON, PRODUCE A MEASURE OF LENGTH.
NUMERICALLY, THE MEASURE IS CLOSE TO THE KNOWN SIZE OF ATOMS. THIS
ENCOURAGED BOHR TO USE PLANCK'S CONSTANT IN SEARCHING FOR A THEORY
OF THE ATOM.
NEILS BOHR KNOWN FOR HIS:
Theory of the hydrogen atom:
In 1913, Niels Bohr proposed a theory for the hydrogen atom
based on quantum theory that energy is transferred only in
certain well defined quantities. Electrons should move around the
nucleus but only in prescribed orbits.
 LOUIS DE BROGLIE
French Physicist
Louis Victor Pierre Raymond de Broglie : (1892-1987), was a French physicist
who made groundbreaking contributions to quantum theory. In his
1924 PhD thesis, he postulated the wave nature of electrons and
suggested that all matter has wave properties. This concept is known
as the de Broglie hypothesis, an example of wave–particle duality,
and forms a central part of the theory of quantum mechanics.
Louis de Broglie was born to a noble family in Dieppe, Seine-Maritime,
younger son of Victor, 5th Duc de Broglie. He became the 7th duc de
Broglie in 1960 upon the death without heir of his older brother,
Maurice, 6th duc de Broglie, also a physicist. He never married. When
he died in Louveciennes,[3] he was succeeded as duke by a distant
cousin, Victor-François, 8th duc de Broglie.
De Broglie had intended a career in humanities, and received his first
degree in history. Afterwards he turned his attention toward
mathematics and physics and received a degree in physics. With the
outbreak of the First World War in 1914, he offered his services to the
army in the development of radio communications.
 His Contribution to Quantum Theory
IN1924,DE BROGLIE DEVELOPED HIS REVOLUTIONARY THEORY OF ELECTRON
WAVES, WHICH HE HAD PUBLISHED EARLIER IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. (SEE DE
BROGLIE WAVE.) THE NOTION THAT MATTER ON THE ATOMIC SCALE MIGHT HAVE
THE PROPERTIES OF A WAVE WAS ROOTED IN A PROPOSAL EINSTEIN HAD MADE
20 YEARS BEFORE. EINSTEIN HAD SUGGESTED THAT LIGHT OF SHORT
WAVELENGTHS MIGHT UNDER SOME CONDITIONS BE OBSERVED TO BEHAVE AS
IF IT WERE COMPOSED OF PARTICLES, AN IDEA THAT WAS CONFIRMED IN 1923.
THE DUAL NATURE OF LIGHT, HOWEVER, WAS JUST BEGINNING TO GAIN
SCIENTIFIC ACCEPTANCE WHEN DE BROGLIE EXTENDED THE IDEA OF SUCH A
DUALITY TO MATTE.
DE BROGLIE’S PROPOSAL ANSWERED A QUESTION THAT HAD BEEN RAISED BY
CALCULATIONS OF THE MOTION OF ELECTRONS WITHIN THE ATOM. EXPERIMENTS
HAD INDICATED THAT THE ELECTRON MUST MOVE AROUND A NUCLEUS AND
THAT, FOR REASONS THEN OBSCURE, THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ON ITS MOTION.
DE BROGLIE’S IDEA OF AN ELECTRON WITH THE PROPERTIES OF A WAVE OFFERED
AN EXPLANATION OF THE RESTRICTED MOTION.
LOUIS DE BROGLIE KNOWN FOR HIS:

Theory Of Electron Waves:

In his 1924 PhD thesis, he postulated the wave nature of electrons
and suggested that all matter has wave properties. This concept is
known as the de Broglie hypothesis, an example of wave–particle
duality, and forms a central part of the theory of quantum
mechanics.
 WERNER HEISENBERG
German Physicist

Werner Karl Heisenberg: (1901-1976), German theoretical physicist and

one of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics. He was the son
of Dr. August Heisenberg and his wife Annie Wecklein. His father
later became Professor of the Middle and Modern Greek
languages in the University of Munich. It was probably due to his
influence that Heisenberg remarked, when the Japanese physicist
Yukawa discovered the particle now known as the meson and
the term “mesotron” was proposed for it, that the Greek word
“mesos” has no “tr” in it, with the result that the name “mesotron”
was changed to “meson”. Heisenberg went to the Maximilian
school at Munich until 1920, when he went to the University of
Munich to study physics under Sommerfeld, Wien, Pringsheim, and
Rosenthal. During the winter of 1922-1923 he went to Göttingen to
study physics under Max Born, Franck, and Hilbert. In 1923 he took
his Ph.D. at the University of Munich and then became Assistant to
Max Born at the University of Göttingen, and in 1924 he gained
the venia legendi at that University.
 His Contribution to Quantom Theory

HE IS KNOWN FOR THE HEISENBERG UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE, WHICH HE

PUBLISHED IN 1927. HEISENBERG WAS AWARDED THE 1932 NOBEL PRIZE IN
PHYSICS "FOR THE CREATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS“.

HE ALSO MADE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE THEORIES OF THE

HYDRODYNAMICS OF TURBULENT FLOWS, THE ATOMIC NUCLEUS,
FERROMAGNETISM, COSMIC RAYS, AND SUBATOMIC PARTICLES, AND HE WAS
INSTRUMENTAL IN PLANNING THE FIRST WEST GERMAN NUCLEAR REACTOR AT
KARLSRUHE, TOGETHER WITH A RESEARCH REACTOR IN MUNICH, IN 1957. HE
WAS A PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST IN THE NAZI GERMAN NUCLEAR WEAPON PROJECT
DURING WORLD WAR II. HE TRAVELLED TO OCCUPIED COPENHAGEN WHERE HE
MET AND DISCUSSED THE GERMAN PROJECT WITH NIELS BOHR.
WERNER HEISENBERG KNOWN FOR HIS:

Matrix Mechanics:
Is a formulation of quantum mechanics created by Werner Heisenberg, Max
Born, and Pascual Jordan in 1925.
Matrix mechanics was the first conceptually autonomous and logically consistent
formulation of quantum mechanics. Its account of quantum jumps supplanted
the Bohr Model's electron orbits. It did so by interpreting the physical properties of
particles as matrices that evolve in time. It is equivalent to the Schrödinger wave
formulation of quantum mechanics, as manifest in Dirac's bra–ket notation.