Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein revolutionized how scientists view physical reality. Above all, he is known for his theory of relativity. One outcome of Einstein’s work is the famous equation E = mc2.
In 1921, Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1999, Time magazine named him its "Person of the Century." Today, his name is synonymous with "genius."
Early Life
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Einstein was born a German Jew in 1879. There were no early signs of his genius. In fact, his parents feared that he was a slow learner. He did not begin to talk until age three. According to some accounts, Einstein was expelled from school for being disruptive. In any case, he left Germany and continued his education in Switzerland.
He entered the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich when he was 17. While there, he studied mathematics and physics. He avoided many lectures and so did not impress his professors. But he was actually studying very hard. When he graduated in 1900, he asked to be appointed as an assistant in the physics department. But he was refused.
After unsuccessful efforts at teaching, Einstein went to work in the Swiss patent office in Bern. There, he had time to consider problems in physics. The result was a series of four papers published in 1905. They included a description of Einstein’s special theory of relativity.
Soon after, leading scientists recognized Einstein’s work as original and profound. Beginning in 1909, he worked at many great centers of learning. They included the University of Zurich and the University of Berlin. It is said that he returned to Germany because he greatly respected several Berlin physicists. They included Max Planck and Walther Nernst.
The Miracle Year Papers
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As mentioned, Einstein published four papers in 1905. They appeared in the respected Annals of Physics.
Photoelectric Effect
In the first of these papers, Einstein wrote about the photoelectric effect. In this effect, certain metals emit electrons when they absorb ultraviolet light. This produces a current of electricity.
To explain the effect, Einstein built on ideas suggested by Max Plank. Plank suggested that the structure of light and energy was quantized. In other words, it was discontinuous, or grainy.
Atoms can vibrate only at certain quantized frequencies. (This means that the frequencies are separate and distinct.) Also, energy such as light is emitted and absorbed only in tiny, discrete amounts. These discrete amounts of energy act like particles of matter rather than waves.
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