Wilhelm Wien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelm Wien
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| Born |
Wilhelm Carl Werner Otto Fritz Franz Wien
13 January 1864 Gaffken near Fischhausen, Province of Prussia
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| Died | 30 August 1928 (aged 64) |
| Alma mater | University of Göttingen University of Berlin |
| Known for | Blackbody radiation Wien's displacement law |
| Spouse(s) | Luise Mehler (1898) |
| Awards | Nobel Prize for Physics (1911) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | University of Giessen University of Würzburg University of Munich RWTH Aachen |
| Doctoral advisor | Hermann von Helmholtz |
| Doctoral students | Gabriel Holtsmark Eduard Rüchardt |
Wilhelm Carl Werner Otto Fritz Franz Wien (born January 13, 1864 – died August 30, 1928) was a German physicist. He is famous for his work on heat and electromagnetism. In 1893, he created Wien's displacement law. This law helps us understand how a "blackbody" gives off light and heat at different temperatures.
A blackbody is an object that absorbs all light and heat that hits it. It also gives off, or emits, light and heat in a special way. Wien's law helps scientists figure out the color and brightness of this emitted light. His ideas were very important for the development of quantum mechanics. This is a big part of modern physics. For his discoveries about heat radiation, Wien won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1911.
Wilhelm Wien was also a cousin of Max Wien. Max Wien was known for inventing the Wien bridge.
Contents
About Wilhelm Wien: Early Life and Education
Wilhelm Wien was born in 1864 in a place called Gaffken. This area was part of Prussia, which is now Russia. When he was two years old, his family moved to Drachstein, which is now in Poland.
School Days and University Studies
Wien started school in Rastenburg in 1879. From 1880 to 1882, he went to a city school in Heidelberg. In 1882, he began studying at the University of Göttingen. He also studied at the University of Berlin.
From 1883 to 1885, Wien worked in the lab of a famous scientist, Hermann von Helmholtz. In 1886, he earned his Ph.D. His research was about how light bends when it hits metals. He also studied how different materials change the color of light.
Wien's Scientific Discoveries and Career
Wilhelm Wien taught at RWTH Aachen University from 1896 to 1899. He later took over the positions of another famous physicist, Wilhelm Röntgen. This happened first in 1900 at the University of Würzburg. Then, in 1919, he moved to the University of Munich.
Wien was very involved in science. He held traditional views but was open to new ideas. For example, he respected Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity.
Understanding Blackbody Radiation
In 1896, Wien found a rule for how blackbodies give off radiation. This rule is now called Wien's law. His colleague, Max Planck, used Wien's ideas. Planck then created a more complete theory called Planck's law. This work was a big step towards quantum theory.
Wien's other important discovery is Wien's displacement law. This law helps scientists find the peak wavelength of light an object emits. It connects this wavelength to the object's temperature. It is still very useful today.
Exploring Mass and Energy
In 1900, Wien suggested that all matter's mass comes from electromagnetism. He proposed a formula for the link between electromagnetic mass and energy. This idea was a new way to think about matter.
The Wien Filter and Particle Studies
In 1898, Wien created the Wien filter. This device is also known as a velocity selector. It uses electric and magnetic fields to sort charged particles. Only particles moving at a certain speed can pass through it.
This filter is used in tools like electron microscopes. It helps scientists study tiny particles. It makes sure that only particles with the right speed are analyzed.
Discovering the Proton
While studying streams of ionized gas in 1898, Wien made another big discovery. He found a positive particle that had the same mass as a hydrogen atom. This work was the start of mass spectrometry. This is a method used to measure the mass of atoms and molecules.
Later, other scientists like J. J. Thomson and Ernest Rutherford continued Wien's work. In 1919, Wien's particle was officially named the proton.
Nobel Prize Recognition
In 1911, Wilhelm Wien received the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was honored "for his discoveries regarding the laws governing the radiation of heat." His work helped us understand how heat and light are connected.
Images for kids
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A robot representing science.
See also
In Spanish: Wilhelm Wien para niños
