Karl Ernst Ludwig Marx PLANCK
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SIR P. T. SARVAJANIK COLLEGE OF SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS Special Issue, August-2019 Karl Ernst Ludwig Marx PLANCK The Founder of Quantum Theory Editorial SPECTRUM “When you change the way you look at the things; Special Issue, August-2019 the things you look at change.” - Max Planck With all enjoyment and pleasure we are bestow- Published by ing next dynamic piece of our enthusiasm and Physics Club creativity - second issue of our magazine “Spec- Department of Physics trum”. The unprecedented response to the first is- Sir P. T. Sarvajanik College sue has motivated us to come up with the second of Science, Surat issue. April is the birth month of famous physicist Max Planck. Considering the datum, this issue has been dedicated to Max Planck. In this issue, Chief Editor we have tried to present few articles about Max Dr. Pruthul Desai Planck. The first article consists Bio-graphical sketch of Max Planck. He was a German theoret- Editorial Board ical physicist whose discovery of energy quanta Prof. Sadanand Sutar won him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918. His Prof. Viresh Thakkar study of blackbody radiation ushered in a revolu- Dr. Nisha Patel tion which changed physics and our understand- Dr. Dhiraj Shah ing of nature forever. The compulsions of black- Prof. Kileen Mahajan body spectrum that led Planck to the path break- Prof. Bhupesh Lad ing idea of energy quantization is presented in the Ms. Priyanka Mule article inscribed by Dr. Pruthul Desai. A timeline Mrs. Pinal Shah of Max Planck’s life is also presented. Further, Mr. Vishal Unagar a glimpse of activities carried out by the Physics Club has been showcased. We look forward to Feedback hear from you on [email protected]! [email protected] Editors : Dr. Nisha Patel and Dr. Dhiraj Shah SPECTRUM j August-2019 1 Contents 1. Biographical Sketch of Max Planck 2 1.1 Early Life.....................................2 1.2 Higher Education.................................3 1.3 Academic Career.................................4 1.4 Work on Blackbody Radiation..........................4 1.5 He was One of Einstein’s Earliest Supporter...................6 1.6 Nobel Prize....................................7 1.7 Reluctant Revolutionary.............................8 1.8 The Patriot.....................................9 1.9 Tragedy in Personal Life............................. 10 1.10 Last Days..................................... 11 1.11 Views of his peers................................. 11 2. The Route to Planck’s Venerable Blackbody Radiation Formula 13 2.1 Introduction.................................... 14 2.2 The Spectrum of Blackbody Radiation...................... 16 2.2.1 Stefan-Boltzmann Law.......................... 17 2.2.2 The Key Role of Experimental Techniques ............... 17 2.2.3 Wein’s Displacement Law and the Blackbody Spectrum . 18 2.2.4 Planck’s Blackbody Radiation Law ................... 19 2.2.5 Theoretical Derivation of the Blackbody Radiation Law . 21 2.3 Conclusions.................................... 25 3. Little Known Facts about Planck 26 3.1 A Great Musician................................. 26 3.2 Stringently Punctual................................ 26 3.3 Lifelong Mountain Climber............................ 26 3.4 Investigated by Gestapo During World War-II.................. 26 3.5 Conflicts with the Hitler............................. 27 3.6 Relationship with the Nazis........................... 27 3.7 Planck’s view on Physics............................. 28 4. Quotes by Planck 29 5. Max Planck Timeline 31 6. A Glimps of Activities carried out by Physics Club 34 SPECTRUM j August - 2019 1 1. Biographical Sketch of Max Planck Figure 1: Max Planck (1858-1947) 1.1 Early Life Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck was born in Kiel, a city on the northern coast of Germany, on April 23, 1858, the fourth child of his parents. His mother, Emma Patzig of Greifswald, his father’s second wife, came from a family of pastors. He grew up in a conservative, cultured family in prosperous Wilhelmine Germany. When he was nine, his family moved to Munich, where he attended the renowned Maximilian Gymnasium. His teachers did not rate him an outstanding student, rather they praised his personal qualities. At school, he performed well but at the same time he did not show any sign of outstanding talent. His school report of the year 1872 while commenting his performance noted: “Justifiably favoured by both teachers and classmates. and despite having ways, he has a very clear, logical mind, Shows great promise.” It is said that at the beginning his best subject at school was perhaps music. Almost every year he won the school prize in catechism and good conduct. Towards the end of his schooling at the Maximilian Gymnasium he was drawn to physics and mathematics by his mathematics teacher Hermann Muller. He also became an excellent pianist and found in playing music deep enjoyment an recreation. 2 SPECTRUM j August - 2019 1.2 Higher Education In July 1874 he passed his school leaving examination with distinction. Plank had not decided about his future career. He even explored the possibility of pursuing a musical career. Finally he entered the Munich University on 21 October 1874, where he was taught physics by Philipp von Jolly and Wilhelm Beetz, and Mathematics by Ludwig Seidel and Gustav Bauer. It seems Planck was not much impressed with his teachers at the Munich University. Remembering his student days at the Munich University Planck later wrote: “I did not have the good fortune of a prominent scientist or teacher directing the specific course of my education.” At the beginning Planck took mostly mathematics classes. Planck spoke to Professor Philipp von Jolly about the merits physics. Jolly famously replied: “In this field [physics] almost everything is already discovered, and all that remains is to fill a few insignificant gaps." Luckily, the budding scientist ignored his advice and chose to study physics. One day he was destined to find evidence to prove the absurdity of his professor’s beliefs. In fairness to Philipp von Jolly – and although it’s hard to believe today given the rapid march of science and technology – many physicists of that era shared Jolly’s view: they believed they had already discovered and understood most of what there was in the universe to be discovered and understood! At university Planck discovered he did not enjoy experimental work. His mathematical talent found its natural home in the world of theoretical physics. On describing why he chose physics, Planck later wrote:“The outside world is something independent from man, something absolute, and the quest for the laws which apply to this absolute appeared to me as the most sublime scientific pursuit in life.” He was inspired by the discovery that “pure reasoning can enable man to gain an insight into the mechanism of the world.” In October 1877 Planck moved to the Berlin University, where he was taught by Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand, von Helmholtz and Gustav Robert Kirchoff. In Planck’s opinion, each of these renowned men of science delivered lectures distinguished only by their dreariness. At Berlin, Planck made independent study of Rudolf Clausius’ writings on thermodynamics. Unlike the lectures he attended, he found Clausius’s work to be interesting, well-delivered, and clear. After a year, Planck returned to Munich and from where he received his doctorate degree in July 1879. His PhD thesis was on the second law of thermodynamics and it was titled “On the Second Law of Mechanical Theory of Heat.” Funnily enough, from the questions he was asked during his thesis defense, Planck drew the conclusion that none of the professors who interrogated him understood his thesis! SPECTRUM j August - 2019 3 1.3 Academic Career After completing his PhD Planck became a Privatdozent at Munich University, a post he held for five years. It was not a salaried post and Plank lived with his Parents. On May 02, 1885, Planck was appointed as an Associate Professor of Theoretical physics at the Kiel University. This appointment, which he held for four years, made Planck financially independent. Planck married Marie Merck on March 31, 1887. Marie was the daughter of a Munich banker. At Kiel, Planck worked on thermodynamics. In this he was influenced by his teacher Gustav Kirchoff and by reading Rudolf Julius Emmanuel Clausius’ publications. He published three excellent research papers on applications to physical chemistry and thermoelectricity. On November 29, 1888, Planck was appointed as an Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Berlin. He succeeded his former teacher Kirchoff. Planck was not the first choice. The authorities of the Berlin University was looking for a world-renowned physicist to replace Kirchoff and first they approached Ludwig Boltzman but he did not accept the offer. After Boltzman, the post was offered to Heinrich Hertz but he also refused the offer. Finally the Department of Philosophy of the Berlin University proposed Planck’s name for the post. Planck was strongly recommended by Helmholtz, who was also Planck’s former teacher. While rec- ommending Planck, Helmholtz wrote:“Planck’s papers are very favourably distinguished from those of the majority of his colleagues in that he tries to carry through the strict consequences of thermomechanics constructively, without adding additional hypotheses, and carefully sep- arates the secure from the doubtful. His papers. clearly show him to be a man of original ideas who is making his own paths (and) that he has a comprehensive overview of the various areas of science.” In 1892 Planck was promoted to full professorship. By all accounts his students found his lectures much more interesting than Planck had found his predecessor’s. One of his students, the British chemist James Partington, described Planck’s lectures: “using no notes, never making mistakes, never faltering; the best lecturer I ever heard. There were always many standing around the room. As the lecture-room was well heated and rather close, some of the listeners would from time to time drop to the floor, but this did not disturb the lecture." He remained at the Berlin University until his retirement in 1926.