You can see physics in action everywhere. It’s present even in the distant places of the universe, supermassive black holes, and the Earth’s fundamental building blocks. Almost everyone knows what physics is, yet many don’t know about all those great scientists who revolutionized this field.
In the past, there have been many such individuals who were instrumental in changing our perspective about the universe. Now, let’s take a look at some of the most influential physicists in history.
1. Albert Einstein
He was the one who completely changed everyone’s understanding of light, space, time, and gravity. According to Einstein, everyone measures the speed of light in a vacuum as 300 million meters per second. This is regardless of their own speed relative to light. After he established this, it became clear that time passes at a slower pace for people traveling at extremely high speeds.
Those moving slowly would find that time moves at a faster pace for them. Einstein was behind the discovery of his iconic equation E = mc2. The equation indicated that energy and matter can be converted into each other. He also rewrote the law of gravitation that Newton had come up with.
2. Galileo
Many remember him as one of the first individuals to study the sky using a telescope. He also went on to discover moons that were orbiting another planet. This led him to discover the four largest moons of Jupiter. Another discovery was that the planet Venus had phases similar to the Earth’s moon. Instead of mathematical evidence, he had a practical proof that sun was at our solar system’s center.
He was also behind the Law of Pendulum’s discovery. Galileo saw that gravity ensures equal acceleration of all things regardless of their mass. He also saw that gravity accelerates objects proportionally to the square of the time they took for their fall.
3. Isaac Newton
Newton gave an excellent explanation of gravity and motion using mathematics in his book, Principia. This famous book is one of the most important books on science every written. He was also behind the invention of calculus. It still helps people in understanding the behavior of objects irrespective of their size.
During the early years of Newton’s works, no one could understand his new physics. He was behind the discovery of the law of universal gravitation. Newton came up with the explanation that the moon orbits the earth. He also said that it was for the same reason that an apple fell from its tree.
4. Michael Faraday
Faraday’s laws of electrolysis is vital to electrochemistry. He played a major role in the founding of this discipline. Michael Faraday is believed to be the greatest experimental physicist ever. He is credited for producing electric current in a wire by varying a magnetic field. In the process, he discovered electromagnetic induction. This is the means that generate electricity in today’s power plants.
He was also behind the discovery of electromagnetic rotation. One of his greatest inventions is the Faraday Cage. It’s extremely effective in preventing external interference from affecting the sensitive electronic and electric equipment.
