Great Scientists
Insert Name
Who was it?
• Born in South Dakota, 1901• Made vital contributions to atomic bomb• Invented cyclotron that accelerated
particles to high velocity without high voltage, used to make new elements
• Developed e/m ratio of electron• Liked “Lawry’s” seasoned salt
Ernest Lawrence
• 1901-1958• Invented cyclotron,
1929– Accelerated particles to
bombard with atoms• Made new elements• Made anti-matter to
study
• Won Nobel prize in physics, 1939
Who was it?
• Born in Copenhagen in 1885
• Researched structure of the atom
• First to postulate that electrons travel around nucleus of atom
• Predicted splitting of uranium atoms
• Gave lectures, never “boring”
Niels Bohr
• 1885-1962• Known for the Bohr
model of the atom – Electrons travel
around nucleus in restricted orbits
• Won Nobel prize in physics in 1922
Who was it?
• Born in Württemberg, Germany, 1879
• Postulated light travels in individual photons, 1905
• Wrote special theory of relativity 1905
• Wrote general theory of relativity 1916
• E = mc2
Albert Einstein
• 1879-1955• Postulated photons
travel in discreet energy packets (individual photons)
• Theories of special and general relativity
• Nobel prize in physics, 1921
Who was it?
• Born 1852 in Paris
• Discovered natural radiation in uranium in 1896
• Unit of radiation named after
• 1 disintigration/second = 1 Bq
• “Oh Henry!”
Henri Becquerel
• 1852-1908• Known for his
discovery of natural radiation in uranium
• Shared Nobel Prize with the Curies in 1903
Who was it?
• Born in Rome, 1901• Contributed to early theory of beta decay and
neutrino• Demonstrated nuclear transformation with
neutrons in elements• Led experiment that performed first controlled
nuclear reaction• Very “fair to me”
Enrico Fermi
• 1901-1954• Discovered neutrino
and neutron activation
• Work led to fission and controlled nuclear reaction
• Nobel prize physics, 1938
Who was it?
• Born in Nelson, New Zealand, 1871• Discovered alpha and beta particles in
1898• Devised method of counting alpha
particles with H Geiger• Investigations of alpha scattering in
1910 led to the discovery of the nucleus• Knighted in 1914
Sir Ernest Rutherford
• 1871-1937• Discovered alpha
and beta particles• Discovered nucleus
in 1910• Won Nobel prize in
chemistry, 1908
Who was it?
• Born Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany, 1879• Discovered radiothorium, radioactinum, and
mesothorium• Developed methods of separating radioactive
particles• Discovered fission by bombarding uranium
and thorium with neutrons, 1938 with Strassman
• Lets all give him a “hand”
Otto Hahn
• 1879-1968• Discovered the process
of fission by bombarding uranium with neutrons (including the chain reaction)
• Won Nobel prize in chemistry in 1944
Who was it?
• Born in Warsaw, 1867• Discovered radium and polonium and
developed means to separate it• Refused to patent work for money• Developed unit of radioactivity
– 1 Ci = 37,000,000,000 disintigrations/sec
• There was no “cure” for her radiation
Marie Curie
• 1867-1934• Known for her
discovering and separating radium and polonium
• Shared Nobel prize in physics, 1903 and full prize in chemistry, 1911 – (First to receive two
prizes)
Who was it?
• Born in 1978• Isolated protactinium with Otto Hahn in
1917 • Worked with Hahn on behavior of beta
rays• Helped discover fission with Hahn and
Strassman• “Meitnerium” named after her (elm 109)
Lise Meitner
• 1878-1968• Spent much of
career working with Otto Hahn– Helped discover
fission with Hahn and Strassman
– Discovered elements with Hahn
Who was it?
• Born in Lennep, Germany, 1845• Worked on thermal conductivity of
crystals• Discovered X-rays• Unit of radiation named after him for
dose (R)• He had the “will” to do it
William Röentgen
• 1845-1923• Discovered x-rays in
a cathode tube experiment
• Won Nobel prize in physics in 1901