Nobel Winning Physicists, 1921-1930 Quiz

Answer: Einstein

In 1905, his "miracle year", Einstein would publish four papers that revolutionized physics. Building on the work of Max Planck, Einstein established the existence of photons, particles of light that conveyed energy. The theories of Einstein created the basis for modern electronics and laid the foundations for the field of quantum mechanics. Not bad for a guy with dyslexia.

Answer: Sir Joseph J Thompson

Bohr worked with Joseph Thomson in Manchester in 1911 and 1912. His experiments there led Bohr to discover the structure of hydrogen atoms. Thompson had won the Nobel in 1906 for his work with cathode ray tubes that led to the discovery of the electron. While Bohr's theory has been superseded by more complex explanations of the motion of atoms, a century later his model is still used to teach introductory students about the nature of atomic structure.

Answer: Oil

Millikan first used water in his experiments, but decided his results were not as precise as he wanted, so he switched to oil. In his famous oil drop experiments, Millikan was able to determine that the precise charge of an electron was 1.5924(17)×10−19 C, within 1 percent of the current standard of 1.602176487(40)×10−19 C.
Millikin built on the work of Einstein regarding electrons during his time at the University of Chicago, where he was on the faculty from 1896 to 1921. Millikin left Chicago to head up the physics lab at the California Institute of Technology, and helped make it one of the premier science schools in the world. Millikin's Nobel-winning work involved using drops of oil to prove the existence of electrons, a key discovery in quantum physics.
The University of Chicago has had at least 29 Nobel physics laureates associated with it, including the first American to win, Albert Michelson - 19 faculty and 10 alumni. It may be the most important site in the history of nuclear physics, as it was the site where Enrico Fermi created the first chain reaction in December 1942. Scientists at Chicago also created the first measurable amounts of plutonium in 1942. Several key scientists on the Manhattan Project, including Fermi, had links with the University of Chicago.

Answer: X-Ray Spectroscopy

Karl Siegbahn won in 1924 for his work on X-ray spectroscopy. His 1923 book on the subject is still considered a masterpiece of scientific research. The notation that Siegbah created allowed scientists to determine the precise elemental make-up of substances, and is the basis for modern spectroscopes. His scale is still used today, almost a century later.
Siegbahn's son Kai (1938-2007) followed his father into physics, and won his own Nobel in 1981. Kai held the same chair at Uppsala University that his father did. He shared the Nobel with Nicolaas Bloembergen and Arthur Schawlow for their work on laser spectroscopy, building on the work of Manne Siegbahn.

Answer: Gas

Franck and Hertz originally worked with mercury vapor, and then moved on to other gases. They passed electricity through a tube filled with gas, measuring kinetic energy, and determined that different gases react at different voltages. In their work with neon, they discovered that the neon glowed when it was electrified -- so every neon sign in the world owes a debt to Franck and Hertz. They won the 1925 Nobel Prize for their work, which was done right before World War I began.
Hertz was a student of Max Planck; the unit of measurement is named after his uncle Heinrich.

Answer: Brownian Motion

Perrin built on the work of Albert Einstein, creating the experiments that proven Einstein's theories regarding Brownian motion. The Nobel committee specfically cited Perrin's work on "sedimentation equilibrium." Brownian motion focuses on the motion of particles suspended in liquid. Perrin's work on Einstein's theory led to proof positive of the existence of molecules, a massive breakthrough in particle physics. Perrin used his fame after the Nobel to found some of France's leading centers for scientific research.

He is buried in the Pantheon in Paris, the site of the tombs of many of France's greatest intellectuals.

Answer: X-Rays

Compton shot X-rays at crystals to study how the X-rays would scatter. The Compton effect describes how the wavelength of X-rays increase when they are scattered by free electrons, which means that the scattered quanta have less energy than the original beam. Compton was at the University of Chicago from 1921 to 1945.

He worked with Enrico Fermi to create the world's first nuclear reaction, and played a key role in creating the plutonium for the first atomic bombs. Compton and Charles T.R. Wilson both received the 1927 Nobel for Physics, although for different work. Wilson received his Nobel for the invention of the cloud chamber, which was critical to particle physics research for 30 years. Wilson used the cloud chamber to verify Compton's results.

Answer: Metal

Richardson did his work on the "thermionic effect" at Cambridge in 1901. In simplest terms, Richardson's law deals with the nature of metal as it is heated. It establishes a mathematical constant regarding the flow of energy through metals. Virtually anything that has a metal cable connected to it relies on Richardson's theories. While Thomas Edison may have invented the light bulb, Richardson was the guy who explained why it worked.

Answer: Wave Mechanics

In 1924, de Broglie created the field of wave mechanics with the publication of his thesis "Research on the Theory of the Quanta," which built on the work of Plank and Einstein to describe electron waves. When de Broglie submitted his thesis, it was so revolutionary that his advisors actually had Albert Einstein look it over to verify whether his theories were valid. Einstein endorsed de Broglie's work. De Broglie would go on to be one of France's most popular and decorated scientists; he was in the French Academy and both the Swedish and British academies of science.

Answer: light

In 1928, C.V. Raman was working in Calcutta, India on the scattering of light. His discoveries verified the work of Einstein regarding the quantum nature of light. Four years later, Raman would discover the quantum photon spin. His theoretical work had enormous impact on the field of spectrography. Raman also did remarkable work in the field of optics. He was the first person outside of Europe or the United States to win a Nobel Prize in Physics.