Modern Physicists: Late 1800s - Present Suggestions

[AaronGaTech]

I'm taking modern physics class, and we have to do a semester long project over any physicist from the late 1800s on. My first thought was Tesla, but I want a not so obvious choice. So any suggestions would be appreciated. Just anybody that made somewhat significate contributions in any area of physics from the late 1800s to the present.

 

[Bob S]

Tesla was more of an electrical engineer. Choose someone like Earnest Rutherford, who in essence discovered that the atomic nucleus was not made of plum pudding (very large and soft), but instead was very small and very hard. See

http://www.rutherford.org.nz/biography.htm

Bob S.

 

[Feldoh]

Tesla was more of an engineer than a physicist. However a good place to start might be: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/

 

[AaronGaTech]

I know he was an engineer, but still relates pretty well with physics. But Rutherford is an awesome choice. I'm actually a nuclear engineering major, I find his stuff very interesting. Thanks for the help.

 

[pmacias]

There are many influential physicists from the late 1800s to the present that have made significant contributions to the field of modern physics. Some suggestions for your project could include:

1. Marie Curie - She was a pioneering physicist and chemist who discovered radioactivity and developed techniques to isolate radioactive isotopes. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.

2. Max Planck - He is known as the founder of quantum theory and is best known for his work on blackbody radiation. His discovery of the quantum of action (now known as Planck's constant) revolutionized our understanding of the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic level.

3. Albert Einstein - He is one of the most well-known and influential physicists of all time. His theories of relativity changed the way we think about space, time, and gravity, and he is also known for his famous equation E=mc².

4. Niels Bohr - He was a Danish physicist who made significant contributions to our understanding of the structure of atoms and quantum mechanics. He proposed the Bohr model of the atom, which helped to explain the behavior of electrons in atoms.

5. Werner Heisenberg - He is best known for his uncertainty principle, which states that it is impossible to know both the position and momentum of a particle with absolute certainty. This principle has had a profound impact on our understanding of the quantum world.

Other notable physicists from this time period include James Clerk Maxwell, who developed the theory of electromagnetism, and Erwin Schrödinger, who developed the wave equation that describes the behavior of quantum particles.

I would encourage you to research and explore the work of these and other physicists to find a topic that interests you and aligns with your project requirements. Good luck with your project!