Year 1905

DateTypeEvent
1905-09-27

In 1905 Albert Einstein’s paper concerning the Mass-Energy Equivalency (E=mc2) was first received by the journal ‘Annalen der Physik’.

In 1905 Albert Einstein published four papers known as the Annus mirabilis papers (Latin for extraordinary year papers). All four papers were revolutionary to science changing our understanding of the universe forever.

His most famous work was the idea that the mass of an object could be converted to energy or energy into matter. E=mc2 suggests that the amount of (potential) energy is equal to the mass of matter multiplied by the speed of light squared. This is the immense power of nuclear energy including that of the sun. Every time a hydrogen atom becomes a helium atom in the plasma of the sun, a little bit of mass is ‘lost’ and converted into energy. Einstein’s discoveries revolutionised the world of “modern physics” (Relativity and Quantum Mechanics). In 1916 Einstein published his ‘General theory of Relativity’ which described gravity as a property of space and time (spacetime) and he proposed that the properties of gravity, space and even time were relative (dependent on) the speed of motion of the observer of object in question. One of the most controversial ideas of this theory is that time slows down the closer you get to the speed of light, a theory now proven many times and is a pivotal part of satellite navigational technology. He also received the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his work on the ‘Photoelectric Effect’ which helped to establish Quantum Physics. The ‘Photoelectric Effect’ regards the transfer of energy from a light beam onto a metal surface which becomes heat. The theory suggested that with enough time, however strong the beam of light, enough energy should be transmitted to the metal to liberate one of its electrons from one of the atoms. In practice, physicists found that this worked on some metals and not others and that an electron would eject with more energy depending on the colour of the beam rather than the intensity. This perplexed physicists until 1905 when Einstein applied a previous theory by Max Planck. Plank had suggested that light beams (and all Electromagnetic radiation) were not a continuous flow of energy, as previously thought, but actually packets (quanta) of energy (like the way information is sent across the internet). When Einstein applied this theory he was able to explain why it didn’t matter the length of time that the light beam shone on the metal but it the individual photons (energy packets) had enough energy within them to cause an electron to escape. It even explained why the colour affected the energy the electrons ejected by was affected by colour rather than intensity.

1905-09-27

In 1905 Albert Einstein’s paper concerning the Mass-Energy Equivalency (E=mc2) was first received by the journal ‘Annalen der Physik’.

In 1905 Albert Einstein published four papers known as the Annus mirabilis papers (Latin for extraordinary year papers). All four papers were revolutionary to science changing our understanding of the universe forever.

His most famous work was the idea that the mass of an object could be converted to energy or energy into matter. E=mc2 suggests that the amount of (potential) energy is equal to the mass of matter multiplied by the speed of light squared. This is the immense power of nuclear energy including that of the sun. Every time a hydrogen atom becomes a helium atom in the plasma of the sun, a little bit of mass is ‘lost’ and converted into energy. Einstein’s discoveries revolutionised the world of “modern physics” (Relativity and Quantum Mechanics). In 1916 Einstein published his ‘General theory of Relativity’ which described gravity as a property of space and time (spacetime) and he proposed that the properties of gravity, space and even time were relative (dependent on) the speed of motion of the observer of object in question. One of the most controversial ideas of this theory is that time slows down the closer you get to the speed of light, a theory now proven many times and is a pivotal part of satellite navigational technology. He also received the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his work on the ‘Photoelectric Effect’ which helped to establish Quantum Physics. The ‘Photoelectric Effect’ regards the transfer of energy from a light beam onto a metal surface which becomes heat. The theory suggested that with enough time, however strong the beam of light, enough energy should be transmitted to the metal to liberate one of its electrons from one of the atoms. In practice, physicists found that this worked on some metals and not others and that an electron would eject with more energy dependant on the colour of the beam rather than the intensity. This perplexed physicists until 1905 when Einstein applied a previous theory by Max Planck. Plank had suggested that light beams (and all Electromagnetic radiation) were not a continuous flow of energy, as previously thought, but actually packets (quanta) of energy (like the way information is sent across the internet). When Einstein applied this theory he was able to explain why it didn’t matter the length of time that the light beam shone on the metal but it the individual photons (energy packets) had enough energy within them to cause an electron to escape. It even explained why the colour affected the energy the electrons ejected by was affected by colour rather than intensity.

1905-11-21

In 1905 Albert Einstein’s paper concerning the Mass-Energy Equivalency (E=mc2) was first published by the journal ‘Annalen der Physik’.

In 1905 Albert Einstein published four papers known as the Annus mirabilis papers (Latin for extraordinary year papers). All four papers were revolutionary to science changing our understanding of the universe forever.

The first paper that year, “On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light”, concerned the Photoelectric effect which the journal received on the 18th of March and published on the 9th of June (see below).

The second paper concerned the Brownian Motion named after Robert Brown who in 1827 witnessed pollen grains moving in water by an unknown force and wanted to understand the reason for the phenomenon. Einstein’s paper, “On the Motion of Small Particles Suspended in a Stationary Liquid, as Required by the Molecular Kinetic Theory of Heat” was received on the 11th of May and published on the 18th of July described in immense detail that the motion of the pollen was due to individual water molecules colliding with and moving it. This became the first evidence that particles, which had long been theorised, actually existed.

The third paper by Einstein in 1905 first proposed Special Relativity which concerns the mechanics of motion as an object travels close to the speed of light (the universal speed limit). This paper, "Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper" ("On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies") was received by the journal on the third of June and published on the 26th of September.

The following day on the 27th of September the Journal received the fourth and last paper of that year by the unknown Mr Einstein, “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?” This paper concerned the Mass-Energy Equivalency and established the relationship between energy and mass. The paper was published on the 21st of November 1905 and paved the way for his most famous work was the idea that the mass of an object could be converted to energy or energy into matter. E=mc2 suggests that the amount of (potential) energy is equal to the mass of matter multiplied by the speed of light squared. This is the immense power of nuclear energy including that of the sun. Every time a hydrogen atom becomes a helium atom in the plasma of the sun, a little bit of mass is ‘lost’ and converted into energy. Einstein’s discoveries revolutionised the world of “modern physics” (Relativity and Quantum Mechanics). In 1916 Einstein published his ‘General Theory of Relativity’ which described gravity as a property of space and time (spacetime) and he proposed that the properties of gravity, space and even time were relative (dependent on) the speed of motion of the observer of the object in question. One of the most controversial ideas of this theory is that time actually slows down the closer you get to the speed of light, a theory now proven many times and is a pivotal part of satellite navigational technology. He also received the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his work on the ‘Photoelectric Effect’ which helped to establish Quantum Physics. The ‘Photoelectric Effect’ regards the transfer of energy from a light beam onto a metal surface which becomes heat. The theory suggested that with enough time, however strong the beam of light, enough energy should be transmitted to the metal to liberate one of its electrons from one of the atoms. In practice, physicists found that this worked on some metals and not others and that an electron would eject with more energy depending on the colour of the beam rather than the intensity. This perplexed physicists until 1905 when Einstein applied a previous theory by Max Planck. Plank had suggested that light beams (and all Electromagnetic radiation) were not a continuous flow of energy, as previously thought, but actually packets (quanta) of energy (like the way information is sent across the internet). When Einstein applied this theory he was able to explain why it didn’t matter the length of time that the light beam shone on the metal. The electron would only escape if the individual photons (energy packets) had enough energy within them to cause such an ejection.

 

 

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