20th Century Physicists Flashcards
Electrons at specific stable radii. Manhattan Project.
Niels Bohr
Quantified the wave-particle duality of quantum mechanics. Proposed that all particles have a characteristic wavelength dependent on their momentum.
Louis de Broglie
Authored four papers that revolutionized modern physics.
Albert Einstein
Manhattan Project. Work with statistical physics laid the groundwork for modern electronics and solid-state technologies.
Enrico Fermi
Developed a mathematical formalism called the path integral formulation of quantum theory.
Richard Feynman
First to explain the implications of the Big Bang theory. Correctly predicted the abundance of hydrogen and helium in the early universe.
George Gamow
Matrix interpretation of quantum theory. Uncertainty Principle.
Werner Heisenberg
Solved the ultraviolet catastrophe. He suggested that electromagnetic energy is emitted in specific packages, called quanta.
Max Planck
Gold Foil Experiment. Positive nucleus negative shell.
Ernest Rutherford
Contributed to the early formulations of quantum theory. ___’s Cat.
Erwin Schrödinger
Rigorously isolated and experimented on radioactive materials, forming the basis for early nuclear and particle physics.
Marie and Pierre Curie
One of the first to attempt a generalization of quantum theory to relativistic speeds, the result of which was the ___ equation.
Paul Dirac
Predicted the existence of quarks, which compose protons, neutrons, and other, heavier particles.
Murray Gell-Mann
Determined the charge of the electron by meticulously observing oil droplets in an electric field and noting the time it took them to fall a certain distance.
Robert Millikan
Oversaw much of the Manhattan project, but was later stripped of his security clearance during the McCarthy-era Red Scare, as a result of his acquaintance with communists and his enmity with Edward Teller.
J. Robert Oppenheimer
