Plank, Einstein and Black Body Radiation - 1400 Words

Plank, Einstein and Black Body Radiation. Part 1. Trace the development of the understanding of â€Å"black body radiation† and assess Einstein’s contribution to quantum theory with particular reference to it. Some recent scientific discoveries have been developed during periods of war and have not necessarily been of an altruistic nature. Discuss Einstein and Plank’s differing views of the role society and politics played in scientific research. Towards the end of the 19th century physics was mostly thought to be at an apex. One man at the time, William Thomson Kelvin [cited by Glen Elert in The Physics Hypertextbook], said along the lines of â€Å"There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.† This statement was to quickly become fiction with the beginnings of the 1900s. Two major problems in physics were still apparent; Theories on the luminiferous ether. That is the understanding that light is a wave, waves require a medium therefore, in the case of light from the sun, something must exist between in order to have its light reach Earth. This was believed to be some luminiferous (light-bearing) ether. But the properties of this ether were contradictory and beyond 19th century physics. The other problem was the complete inability of electromagnetic theory to predict the characteristics of thermal radiation. It was to be that out of this issue that the revolutionary development of quantum mechanics would occur sendingShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Positive Relationship Between Science and Religion6961 Words   |  28 Pagesstem cell is less rigid than previously thought yet not nearly as flexible as an embryonic stem cell however there is an added bonus as the use of adult stem cells avoids the potential problem of their rejection from a foreign body since they are transplanted into the same body. Due to this research and the limited success that it has enjoyed so far, many religious organizations, such as Evangelical Christian and Lutheran groups, are amending their stand on stem cell research and one of the most notableRead MoreCommon Laboratory Operations5997 Words   |  24 Pagescurrent, and led to all important discoveries of the use of electricity. The unit o f measuring electromotive force (emf), Volt(v) is named after him. He also proposed the law that the air expands at a constant rate with increasing temperature. Albert Einstein   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1879-1955) German mathematical physicist. Famous for the theory of relativity. Motion is relative and there fore, can be measured only in relation with something else. According to him, the only unchanging quantity is the speed of light.Read MoreEdexcel AS Physics in 100 pages19416 Words   |  78 Pages........................ 16 Newton’s Second Law ................................................................................. 16 Newton’s Third Law .................................................................................... 17 Free-body diagram ....................................................................................... 17 Centre of gravity centre of mass .............................................................. 18 1.4 Motion in two dimensions—Projectile motion