George Minchin facts for kids

George Minchin Minchin (born George Minchin Smith, 1845–1914) was an Irish mathematician and experimental physicist. He was a pioneer in measuring the brightness of stars and other space objects. This is called astronomical photometry. He made the first-ever measurements of light from space using special photovoltaic cells he created. He also invented a tool called the absolute sine-electrometer and wrote many science books and papers.

Early Life and School Days

George Minchin Smith was born on May 25, 1845. His birthplace was Valentia Island in County Kerry, Ireland. His mother died when he was nine years old. His father, a lawyer, sent him to live with his uncle, David Bell. Bell ran a school in Dublin. He encouraged George's amazing math skills.

In 1862, George started at Trinity College, Dublin. He won a top math scholarship in 1865. In 1866, he graduated with a Gold Medal in mathematics. Around this time, he changed his name. He became George Minchin Minchin. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1870.

George changed his name because of family reasons. His father had remarried. In 1887, Minchin married Emma Fawcett. They had two children, George Robert Neville and Una Eleanor.

A Career in Science

In 1875, Minchin became a professor. He taught Applied Mathematics at the Royal Indian Engineering College. This college was also known as Coopers Hill. That same year, he joined the London Mathematical Society. People said he was a "brilliant" teacher. He made difficult topics interesting for his students. He wrote many math and science books. He believed in using clear and simple English. He even added humor to his writings.

Minchin did early experiments with radio waves and x-rays. He also worked with photoelectricity. He did these experiments at Coopers Hill and University College London. He coated platinum with special dyes. These dyes were sensitive to light. He used this method to detect "Hertzian waves," which are radio waves. He called his device an "impulsion cell."

His photo-electric cell was very sensitive. He tested it through thick walls. He even tested it from far away in the woods. He successfully turned a light switch on from a distance. Another scientist, Oliver Lodge, improved Minchin's device. Lodge called his new device a coherer. Later, Guglielmo Marconi used a coherer. This helped him demonstrate wireless telegraphy.

In 1877, Minchin started working on sending images using photoelectricity. He used selenium to make photovoltaic cells. His idea was to use many wires. Each wire's end would be sensitive to light. This would detect an image. The other ends would then create light. This light would be like tiny pixels on a film. But these efforts were not successful.

Minchin kept working on his cells. He made a special selenium photocathode. He believed that scientists should not ignore photoelectricity. He thought it was "madness" to do so. He was one of the first to suggest that photocells change energy. They do this without changing themselves. He also pointed out that surfaces do not need to be black to absorb energy. He thought other unknown surfaces might absorb light better. Later, Max Planck and Albert Einstein proved his ideas.

Minchin wanted to test his new cells. In 1891, he contacted his friend William Henry Stanley Monck. Monck had a small observatory in Dublin. In August, Minchin gave Monck improved cells. Monck and his neighbor Stephen Dixon used them. They measured the light from the Moon. They also measured the brightness of Venus and Jupiter. These were the first light measurements in astronomy history.

Minchin later met William Wilson. Wilson invited him to his observatory in Ireland. In April 1895, Minchin and Wilson used a large telescope. They measured the brightness of stars like Regulus and Arcturus. Minchin published these results. He gave credit to Monck's earlier measurements.

Minchin invented a special measuring tool. It was called the absolute sine-electrometer. This was a very sensitive version of the gold-leaf electroscope. Other companies later improved and sold this device.

He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1895. His colleagues wanted him to make his inventions bigger. They wanted them to be useful for everyday things. But Minchin preferred his work to be just for learning. The college he worked at closed in 1906. He then moved to New College, Oxford. He chose it for its laboratories and telescopes.

George Minchin Minchin died on March 23, 1914. His wife and children survived him.

Images for kids

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  This electrometer was invented by George Minchin. Others later developed it. This one is a tilted gold-leaf electrometer. It was made by Charles Thomson Rees Wilson and George William Clarkson Kaye.