Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck
- Born:
- April 23, 1858, Kiel, Duchy of Holstein
- Died:
- October 4, 1947, Göttingen, Germany
- Nationality:
- German
- Profession(s):
- Theoretical Physicist
Early Life and Education
- Born into a family with a strong academic tradition.
- Studied physics and mathematics at the Universities of Munich and Berlin.
- Received his doctorate from the University of Munich in 1879.
Career and Major Achievements
- Became a Privatdozent at the University of Munich in 1880.
- Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Kiel (1885).
- Professor at the University of Berlin (1889), succeeding Gustav Kirchhoff.
- In 1900, he introduced the concept of quantization of energy, laying the foundation for quantum mechanics.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918 "in recognition of the services he rendered to the advancement of Physics by his discovery of energy quanta."
- Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics (later renamed the Max Planck Institute) from 1930 to 1937.
Notable Works
- Vorlesungen über die Theorie der Wärmestrahlung (Lectures on the Theory of Thermal Radiation) (1906)
- Planck's Law of Black Body Radiation.
Legacy and Impact
Max Planck is considered one of the most important physicists of the 20th century and the father of quantum mechanics. His work revolutionized the understanding of energy and matter and paved the way for numerous technological advancements.
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Nobel Prize in Physics | 1918 |
| Pour le Mérite for Science and Arts | 1915 |
| Adlerschild des Deutschen Reiches | 1935 |