Frank Benford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Albert Benford Jr.
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| Born | May 29, 1883 |
| Died | December 4, 1948 (aged 65) |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Known for | Benford's Law |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical Engineering Physics |
| Institutions | General Electric |
Frank Albert Benford Jr. (born July 10, 1883 – died December 4, 1948) was an American electrical engineer and physicist. He is most famous for something called Benford's Law. This law helps us understand how numbers appear in many different lists of data.
Benford also invented a tool in 1937. This tool could measure how light bends when it goes through glass. He was very good at measuring light and optics. He wrote 109 papers and received 20 patents for his inventions.
Contents
Frank Benford's Early Life
Frank Benford was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His birthday is listed as either May 29 or July 10, 1883. When he was six years old, his family's home was destroyed. This happened during the terrible Johnstown Flood.
Education and Learning
Benford studied at the University of Michigan. He finished his studies and graduated in 1910.
His Work at General Electric
Frank Benford worked for a big company called General Electric. He worked there for many years. First, he spent 18 years in the Illuminating Engineering Laboratory. Then, he moved to the Research Laboratory for 20 more years. He retired in July 1948.
While working as a research physicist, he made his big discovery. He rediscovered and expanded on Benford's Law. He spent years gathering information for his research. In 1938, he published his findings. He used over 20,000 numbers from many different places. These included baseball scores, atomic weights, river sizes, and magazine article numbers.
Later Life and Passing
Frank Benford passed away suddenly at his home. This happened on December 4, 1948.
