Albert Einstein was a scientist in the early 1900s. He came up with some of the most important discoveries and theories in all of science. Some people consider him to be one of the smartest people of the 20th century. His face and name are often used as the picture or description of the consummate scientist. Read here to learn more about Albert Einstein; what he was like and what discoveries and inventions he made.
Albert Einstein by Ferdinand Schmutzer
Where did Einstein grow up?
Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. He spent most of his childhood in Munich, Germany. His father had an electronics company and Albert learned a lot about science and electronics from his dad. He really liked math and wanted to pursue math and science in school. He didn't finish school in Germany, but ended up his schooling in Switzerland. After school, Einstein searched for a job as a professor, but ended up working in a patent office in Bern, Switzerland.
Was Albert Einstein a US citizen?
Albert immigrated to the United States in 1933. He was fleeing from the Nazis in Germany who didn't like Jewish people. If he had stayed in Germany he would not have been able to hold a teaching position at the University as a Jewish person. At one point the Nazis had a bounty on his head. In 1940 Einstein became a US citizen.
E=mc² and Einstein's Theory of Relativity
Albert Einstein had many discoveries as a scientist, but he is most known for his Theory of Relativity. This theory changed much in the way scientists look at the world and set the foundation for many modern inventions, including the nuclear bomb and nuclear energy. One equation from the theory is E=mc2. In this formula, "c" is the speed of light and is a constant. It is assumed to be the fastest speed possible in the universe. This formula explains how energy (E) is related to mass (m). The Theory of Relativity explained a lot of how time and distance may change due to the "relative" or different speed of the object and the observer.
What other discoveries is Albert Einstein noted for?
Albert Einstein laid much of the foundation for modern physics. Some other of his discoveries include:
Photons - In 1905 Einstein came up with the concept that light is made up of particles called photons. Most scientists of his day didn't agree, but later experiments showed this to be the case. This became an important discovery for many branches of science and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.
Bose-Einstein Condensate - Together with another scientist, Satyendra Bose, Einstien discovered another state of matter. Sort of like liquid or gas or solid states. Today this discovery is used in cool stuff like lasers and superconductors.
Albert Einstein Photo by Unknown
Einstein wrote many papers which included theories and models that would help define and move forward our understanding of the world and particularly quantum physics. Some of his work included subjects from a model for a wormhole to the Einstein refrigerator.
The Atomic Bomb
Albert Einstein did not work directly on inventing the Atomic bomb, but his name is closely associated with the bomb. This is because his scientific work and discoveries were key in the bomb's development, specifically his work on energy and mass and his famous equation: E=mc2.
Fun Facts about Albert Einstein
Albert experienced speech problems as a child. His parents were worried that he wasn't very smart!
He failed his first try on his entrance exam for college (this gives us all hope!).
