TOOLS OF SCIENCE
A series of meetings
hosted by The Physics Museum,
The University of Queensland
For students, scientists,
engineers, historians of science and technology, teachers,
collectors, and all those fascinated by old scientific instruments
| September
20 Norman Heckenberg |
The Brownian Movement |
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Brownian Movement (or motion) was studied by botanist Robert Brown in 1827. Microscopic particles suspended in a liquid were found to move randomly and ceaselessly whether alive or not.
Albert Einstein's explanation in terms of the random impacts of the molecules of the liquid, was one of his annus mirabilis 1905 publications, and has garnered more citations than the higher profile papers on light quanta or relativity.
Perrin's verification of the theory proved the existence of atoms, and led to a determination of their size and to a Nobel Prize for him.
This talk will look at the work of these men, some of the instruments they used, and some Australian connections. Dr Norman Heckenberg is Reader in Physics at The University of Queensland and Director of the Physics Museum. His research interests include laser trapping and manipulation of microscopic particles and the history of scientific instruments. |
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