Nobel Prize in Physics facts for kids

This page is about origin and nature of the prize. For specific awards, see List of Nobel laureates in Physics.

Quick facts for kids Nobel Prize in Physics

Presented by	Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Location	Stockholm, Sweden
Reward	12 million SEK
First awarded	1901
Currently held by	Francis Halzen

The Nobel Prize in Physics is one of the most famous science awards in the whole world. It is given every single year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Scientists receive this great honor when they make amazing discoveries about physics. Physics is the branch of science that studies how the universe works, including light, energy, motion, and tiny atoms. This award is one of five original Nobel Prizes created by a clever inventor named Alfred Nobel in 1895. The very first award ceremony took place in 1901. Other prizes created at the same time honor great work in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Each winner takes home a beautiful gold medal, a special hand-painted diploma, and a large cash reward. The front side of this famous medal shows a picture of Alfred Nobel himself. The very first scientist to win the physics award was a German researcher named Wilhelm Röntgen. He won it because he discovered X-rays, which doctors still use today to look inside our bodies! The entire prize system is managed by the Nobel Foundation. Most scientists agree that this award is the highest honor a physicist can ever earn. The winners are celebrated in the city of Stockholm during a grand celebration every December. Over two hundred brilliant people have been awarded the prize since it began.

How Alfred Nobel Started the Famous Physics Prize
How the Winners Are Nominated and Chosen
What Do the Winners Receive?
See also

How Alfred Nobel Started the Famous Physics Prize

Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), who established the Nobel Prizes.

The story of the prize begins with Alfred Nobel, a wealthy Swedish scientist, engineer, and businessman. He invented many things, including dynamite, which made him very rich. Before he passed away, he decided to do something wonderful with his fortune. He wrote a famous document called a last will in 1895. In this paper, he stated that his wealth should reward people who gave the greatest benefit to humankind. He picked five special areas: physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine, and great literature. He wanted to make sure brilliant ideas helped people across the globe lead better lives.

Nobel gave away ninety-four percent of all his money to fund these awards. This massive gift equaled 31 million Swedish kronor, which was an enormous amount of money back then. At first, many people were surprised by his plans. Some family members even questioned the legal documents. It took until 1897 for the leaders in the Storting to agree to the plan. Two loyal friends named Ragnar Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist worked very hard to fulfill Nobel's wishes. They built an organization called the Nobel Foundation to protect the money and arrange the ceremonies.

Different expert groups were chosen to pick the winners for each category. For health and medicine, leaders chose the Karolinska Institutet. For writing, they picked the Swedish Academy. For physics, Alfred Nobel trusted the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 1900, King Oscar II officially approved the rulebook for the new foundation. The very next year, the world celebrated the first group of prize winners.

How the Winners Are Nominated and Chosen

Three Nobel Laureates in Physics: Albert A. Michelson, Albert Einstein, and Robert A. Millikan.

Winning this prize is not easy, and the selection process takes an entire year of hard work. Every single award can be shared by up to three winners, called Nobel laureates. The award can honor up to two different scientific achievements in a single year. Compared to many other science awards, the selection process is very strict and detailed. Because the judges are so careful, people around the world deeply respect the results.

The process is managed by a special team called the Nobel Committee for Physics. This group contains five experts picked by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In September, the committee sends out secret nomination invitations to about 3,000 top researchers worldwide. These experts include past winners and skilled university professors. Nobody can nominate themselves for a prize. All nominations must reach the committee by the end of January.

Once the forms arrive, experts study the proposed ideas very carefully. They read research papers, check facts, and reduce the list to about fifteen top candidates. The committee writes an extensive report and sends it to the Academy. In the autumn, members meet and hold a final vote where the majority rules.

Marie Curie (1903 Physics Nobel Prize Winner)

The entire selection process is super secret. The names of the nominees are never shared with the public. Even the scientists who were nominated are not told that they were being considered! All the secret letters and notes are locked away safely in vaults for fifty years. The prize is meant for living scientists, so posthumous awards are generally not allowed today. A person must be alive when the prize announcement happens in the autumn.

The judges also follow a rule that says a scientific discovery must be tested by time. That means scientists often have to wait twenty years or longer after their breakthrough. Judges want to be completely sure that the discovery really works and helps human knowledge. For instance, an astronomer named Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar won part of his prize in 1983. However, he had completed his famous space research way back in the 1930s! Sometimes, great researchers pass away before the committee can honor them, which means they miss out on the award.

What Do the Winners Receive?

Every scientist who wins the prize receives three things: a medal, a diploma, and money.

The Golden Medal

The medal given to physicists is made of solid gold and has lovely artwork. Its design is shared with the award for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. On the back, it shows the Goddess of Nature appearing as Isis from ancient stories. She is stepping out of soft clouds while holding a horn of plenty called a cornucopia. Standing next to her is the Genius of Science, who gently lifts a veil from Nature's face. This image shows how science uncovers the deep secrets of the natural world.

A skilled artist named Erik Lindberg designed the detailed scene on the medal. It is made in Sweden in the town of Eskilstuna. The back features a Latin phrase from the Roman poet Virgil, found in his epic tale called the Aeneid. Translated into English, the phrase means that it is wonderful to improve human life through discovered arts. Each medal has the winner's name carved right onto the bottom plate.

The Personal Diploma

1903 Nobel Prize diploma, awarded to Marie Curie and Pierre Curie

Laureates also receive a custom work of art called a diploma directly from the King of Sweden. Each single diploma is unique. Artists create beautiful calligraphy and paintings designed specifically for each scientist. The document features the recipient's name and explains exactly why they won. One famous diploma was presented to Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie in 1903 for their amazing research on radiation.

The Cash Reward

Along with the medal and diploma, the laureates receive a large sum of prize money. The exact amount of money changes over time depending on how well the Nobel Foundation investments are doing. In 2009, the prize money was 10 million Swedish Kronor. During economic changes like the Great Recession, the money was temporarily lowered to 8 million kronor. By 2026, the prize reached 12 million kronor, which is more than one million American dollars! If two people win together, they split the money right down the middle. If three people win, the committee can divide it equally or give half to one person and share the rest.

The Grand Ceremony

The big announcements happen every year during the first week of October. The actual party takes place on 10 December in the grand Stockholm Concert Hall. This date honors the day Alfred Nobel died. The winners dress in formal clothes, listen to beautiful classical music, and receive their medals before attending a giant feast.