Whether you are a normal person generally interested in science or an avid student, this is quite normal for everyone to wonder who the father of physics is! But there is no straightforward answer to this question, and the reason for that is elaborated below.
Learn how major scientists shaped the key aspects of physics in the following article, leading to the development of a new branch of science over time. Also, go through a brief history of physics in the end. So, let’s begin.
Quick Answer:
There is no one scientist who is called the Father of Physics. Instead, Physics, as a discipline, is considered a collective contribution of many eminent physicists to society, such as Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, James Clerk Maxwell, and Max Planck. For more, refer to this in-depth article. |
Who Owns the Title of Father of Physics?
This is a tricky question, as there is no single scientist who solely developed the entire discipline of physics. It is rather a body of knowledge that has developed over time due to the contributions of several human beings who were capable of making scientific breakthroughs. Thus, practically, the title of the ‘Father of Physics’ goes to more than one person!
Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, James Clerk Maxwell, and Max Planck are major influential names in the list of major physics scientists, as discussed in brief below.
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy, and lived for 77 years, spanning from 1564 to 1642. Due to his notable work in motion and mechanics, he is referred to as the father of modern physics. His contributions include:
- Law of Inertia: It is a scientific principle that an object doesn’t move or stop from its previous state unless an external force is applied to it.
- Pendulum Studies: He concluded that the equal-length pendulums have the same swing time, which inspired the creation of more precise and accurate clocks.
- Inclined Plane Experiments: Galilei proved that gravity causes the same magnitude of acceleration to every type of object, irrespective of the mass.
- Astronomical Observations: He discovered Jupiter’s moons, Saturn’s rings, the phases of Venus, and giant spots on the Sun. This conception challenged the previously held Aristotelian view that there are perfect and unchanging heavens.
Hence, because of these groundbreaking scientific findings at that time, Galileo earned the title and thus became the answer to ‘Who is the father of modern Physics?’ He caused a strong shift from speculation to evidence in the scientific field of research.
Sir Isaac Newton
The next name in the list of great scientists who have shaped the world of physics is Sir Isaac Newton. He is the most prominent figure and majorly regarded as the father of classical physics. His contributions to science and research include the following.
- Laws of Motion: Often abbreviated as Inertia, F=ma, and Action-Reaction, Sir Isaac Newton gave three laws of motion. In simple terms, they are stated as the first, second, and third laws of motion.
- Universal Gravitational Constant: This is a fixed number in physics, denoted by G, and often used to calculate the gravitational attraction between two objects. The value of G is figured out through F = Gm1m2/r2. By the way, the value of this constant is (6.6743 ± 0.00015) × 10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2, approximately.
- Principia Mathematica: It is one of the most notable & revolutionary books written by Newton, in which he tried to quantify concepts related to motion and gravity with precision. You can find precise and in-depth explanations on tides, planetary movements, and eclipses.
- Optics & Mathematics: Newton also refined key concepts in Optics and invented Calculus, without which you cannot imagine modern mathematics.
While Galileo Galilei focused on pioneering the experimental method in the discovery of laws of motion, Newton refined the same concepts, but with better precision, using mathematical frameworks.
Albert Einstein
Known as the father of modern physics, he is the most revolutionary scientist of his time (1879-1955). He is recognised for his theory of relativity. Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist born in Germany. Consider a concise overview of his remarkable discoveries below.
- Special Relativity (1905): This theory explains that every non-accelerating observer experiences the same laws of physics without any alterations. The speed of light is the same, no matter what, in a vacuum as well as in an atmosphere or any other medium. The most influential equation, E = mc², is also part of this theory.
- General Relativity (1915): With the help of this general theory, Einstein propounded that gravity is nothing but a curvature in a highly flexible space-time fabric that can be stretched and influenced by the mass of enormous planetary objects. This discovery caused a paradigm shift in the way we thought about gravity earlier.
- Photoelectric Effect: Albert Einstein also reinforced the wave-particle duality in the context of light by discovering a unique photoelectric phenomenon where light caused the release of electrons when shone on certain materials.
- Impact on Quantum Theory: All the work also helped quantum theory to develop and reach the current state! However, during his lifetime, he was the biggest opponent of quantum thinkers.
As an ingenious scientist, Albert Einstein left a great legacy behind, and he will be considered one of the major figures as far as time goes in the topic of the father of physics.
Michael Faraday
Lived from 1791 to 1867, Michael Faraday was a fanatic scientist as far as the understanding of electricity and magnetism goes.
- He discovered the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, which is basically a factual observation that a moving magnetic field gives rise to electricity.
- Furthermore, though seemingly minor, Faraday also contributed to the laws of electrolysis, paving the path to future electromagnetic discoveries.
- As a scientist, he was awarded and honoured with the Copley Medal (1838) and the Copley Medal (1832).
- His subject of study included the Faraday effect, Faraday’s law of induction, Faraday’s law of electrolysis, benzene, chlorine, condensation, diamagnetism, etc.
- Additionally, Michael is also behind the invention of the rubber balloon, which was inspired by an unintended accident during one of his gas-related experiments.
- Instead of being born in Newington, a village, he did what many well-to-do contemporary intellectuals couldn’t.
- Not just a notable physicist, Faraday was also a famous chemist. Much of his work in chemistry helped refine the understanding of electricity later.
He thought of electricity as some kind of fluid that behaved similarly to wires as water in a pipe. And, this analogy was quite unique and striking at that time when compared to the contemporaries’ views.
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) collected strewn observations of Faraday and pieced them together into a unified framework.
- With his hard work and dedication, he came up with Maxwell’s Equations, which are a set of four equations elaborating on how electromagnetism operates.
- His work even influenced the relativity theories of Einstein later.
- His subjects of study included Saturn, Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, Maxwell relations, Maxwell’s demon, colour vision, Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic radiation, gas, light, electromagnetism, etc.
- He was a great scientist of the 19th century who had a monumental influence on the physics developed during the 20th century.
- Because of the fundamental nature of his scientific work, he is considered the one who ranks the same as Newton and Einstein.
- For instance, Albert Einstein wouldn’t have been able to formulate his theory of special relativity if Maxwell and Faraday hadn’t worked tirelessly before him.
Maxwell was born in a well-to-do but middle-class family. Yet, his humble background never hindered his scientific pursuits.
Max Planck
Lived from 1858 to 1947, Max Planck’s name comes up when we introduce the discussion of quantum physics.
- First, he gave the example of his brilliance through the idea that energy is emitted in quanta, which is the term for a discrete packet.
- This showed that light can also be defined as a particle, reinforcing the wave-particle duality.
- Due to his contribution to the foundation of quantum physics, he won the Nobel Prize for Physics.
- His findings majorly helped his contemporaries and successors understand the mechanics of nature at an atomic and subatomic level, which was quite revolutionary in the same way as the theories of relativity by Albert Einstein.
- Moreover, he gave Planck’s Constant to Physics, a concept most vital to doing modern physics up until today! Planck’s constant is represented by h, which he introduced in 1900.
- His and Einstein’s work together formed the foundation of 20th-century physics, which revolutionised and changed our understanding of space and time.
That has been a brief discussion on major physicists who shaped science with their revolutionary ways of viewing the surrounding world. However, all these are examples of scientists from the West. Now, let’s look at some intellectuals in the field of physics who are closer to home.
Also Read: 25 Best Marine Biology Colleges Around the World
Father of Physics in India
Talking about the founding fathers of the discipline of physics, let’s also touch upon legendary thinkers from India. A few, but certainly influential names on the list are Acharaya Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sir C.V. Raman, and Satyendra Nath Bose, as concisely discussed below.
Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose
Being a physicist, biologist, botanist, and ingenious inventor, Bose lived a scientifically amazing life from 1858 to 1937. And, thus, he is regarded as the father of modern physics in India.
His notable work spans the wireless transmission of radio waves, connecting physics with biology, and infrastructural contributions such as the Bose Institute in Kolkata, which is known as a quality research centre.
The major work of Bose includes the demonstration of the wireless transmission of radio signals, which later assisted long-distance communication without requiring any wires.
Sir C.V. Raman
Also regarded as the father of physics in India, Raman is best known for his discovery, famously referred to as the Raman Effect (1928). He was also awarded the Nobel Prize for his notable contribution to physics in 1930.
The Raman Effect basically conveys a very complicated phenomenon associated with the behaviour of electromagnetic radiation in a chemical medium. When the light goes through a medium full of molecules, some scattered beams of light, though a minimal number, exhibit a change in wavelength different from the light of incidence.
Sir C.V. Raman is treated as a notable scientific figure in India, as his discovery of the Raman Effect is marked every year on 28th February as National Science Day.
Satyendra Nath Bose
Satyendra N. Bose worked with Albert Einstein with dedication towards the development of Bose-Einstein statistics, which was a special tool to mathematically describe the behaviour of bosons. Bosons are particles that are often discussed in particle physics.
This work paved the foundation for quantum rules in modern times, and later assisted in the development of the Bose-Einstein condensate, which turned out to be a novel state of matter, apart from the previously known three states.
There might not be a list of people contributing to the science of physics from India, but even a few instances, as shown above, are influential enough to make a noticeable difference.
Also Read: College vs. University: Understanding the Difference and Purpose
Who Invented Physics? A Brief Overview!
Physics is not a discovery made by one single scientist. Rather, it is a body of knowledge that developed over time due to the dedicated contributions of many capable scientists from around the world.
In the past, some scientists discovered new concepts and phenomena, and today others build upon them, taking the understanding even further—this is how we have ended up with a vast body of scientific knowledge so far.
The list of major physics scientists is given below, who collectively contributed to the development of this discipline through successive discoveries.
Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
 | Often regarded as the first physicist, he explored motion and the related concepts uniquely and remarkably compared to past thinkers. |
Archimedes (287-212 BCE)
 | His work was mainly concerned with mechanics and fluid dynamics. |
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
 | Kepler provided physics with three laws of planetary motion, which later assisted Newton’s theory of gravitation. |
André-Marie Ampère (1775-1836)
 | Ampere’s Law is the contribution of this scientist to physics. |
Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
 | Isaac augmented the body of knowledge with his famous three laws of motion and the universal gravitational constant, inter alia. |
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
 | Being one of the most influential men in science, Einstein provided a new angle of considering space-time with his revolutionary theories of relativity and the resultant equation E = mc². |
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)
 | Tesla is known for its ground-breaking discoveries related to the rotating magnetic field that is the basis of most alternating-current machinery today! |
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
 | She was the mother of radioactivity, a self-constructed term to express the property of some atomic nuclei that spontaneously emit energy during delay in order to achieve stability. |
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
 | He developed the practical electric light bulb, with phonograph, and the motion picture camera. |
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
 | Maxwell concluded through his discoveries that electricity, magnetism, and light are the different aspects of the same entity, phenomenon, or energy (radiation). |
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
 | Galilei’s work was mainly focused on astronomical bodies and the motion of objects under gravity, which Newton later refined with a mathematical framework. |
So, these are the most noticeable names in the history of physics, discussed briefly for a quick overview. Thus, rather than one person, it is right to say that physics as a body of knowledge is the invention of many intelligent human beings.
Also Read: Med School Admissions: Guide to Increasing Your Chances of Acceptance
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, there is no single scientist who can claim the title of being the father of physics. Many intellectuals, like any other discipline, contributed to the gradual growth of the subject and turned it into a vast wealth of theoretical and practical wisdom.
In other words, they, as a whole, can be referred to as the developers of physics, as we know it today!
FAQs
Ans: Out of so many physics scientists, the title of father of physics cannot be attributed to a single person. Many people led to the development of physics as we study it today in various institutions.
Ans: C.V. Raman is regarded as the Indian father of physics. He received the Nobel Prize in 1930 for his discovery, called the Raman Effect.
Ans: Ancient Greek philosophers are known to have first thought about scientific concepts that later helped take the understanding further. However, the distinction between various branches of science wasn’t clear at that time, as scientific thinking was in its initial stages of development.
Ans: Many scientists can be collectively regarded as the fathers of science. This is the topic that is usually studied or taught under scientific history.
Ans: Physics is one of the three distinct branches of science. It doesn’t have any first name; rather, it is the only name for the body of knowledge or practice concerned with the study and observation of matter, energy and the resultant relationships.
Source:
