Marie Alfred Cornu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie Alfred Cornu
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| Born | 6 March 1841 |
| Died | 12 April 1902 (aged 61) Romorantin
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| Awards | Rumford Medal (1878) |
| Scientific career | |
| Notable students | Albert A. Michelson |
Marie Alfred Cornu was a French physicist. He was born on March 6, 1841, in Orléans, France. He passed away on April 12, 1902. Most people called him Alfred Cornu.
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Life of Alfred Cornu
Alfred Cornu studied at important schools in France. These included the École polytechnique and the École des mines. In 1867, he became a professor of experimental physics at the École polytechnique. He taught there for his entire career.
Cornu was very interested in optics and spectroscopy. These are fields that study light and how it interacts with matter. He did many important experiments.
Measuring the Speed of Light
One of Cornu's most famous works was measuring the speed of light. He improved on a method developed by Hippolyte Fizeau. Cornu made the equipment much better, which made his results very accurate.
For this important work, he received the prix Lacaze award in 1878. He also became a member of the French Academy of Sciences. The Royal Society in England also gave him the Rumford Medal.
Other Achievements and Awards
In 1892, Cornu was chosen to be a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He became the president of the French Academy of Sciences in 1896. From 1897 to 1899, he was also the president of the French astronomical society.
In 1899, he gave a special lecture at Cambridge University. His talk was about the wave theory of light. This theory explains how light travels in waves. The university also gave him an honorary degree for his contributions to science.
Cornu Spiral and Other Inventions
Alfred Cornu is remembered for several things named after him.
The Cornu Spiral
The Cornu spiral is a special curve. It helps scientists calculate how light spreads out. This is important in understanding how light behaves around obstacles. The spiral is also used in designing roads. It helps engineers create smooth curves for cars.
The Cornu Depolarizer
Another invention named after him is the Cornu depolarizer. This device helps to make light less polarized. Polarized light vibrates in only one direction. A depolarizer makes it vibrate in many directions.
Diffraction Gratings
Cornu also worked on diffraction gratings. These are tools with many tiny lines. They are used to split light into its different colors. Cornu developed new ideas for gratings with lines spaced differently. This helped to make them even better for scientific use.
