This Week in Physics History: August 18 - 24

Aug. 19, 1662 -

French mathematician, philosopher, & physicist Blaise Pascal dies. Pascal was best known for his mathematical work, especially the formation of Pascal's Triangle (although he was not the first to develop it) as well as work in probability. In physics, Pascal is known for his impassioned defense of the scientific method, studies of fluids, and early work in thermodynamics, most notably pressure and vacuum experiments.

Aug. 23, 1806 -

French physicist Charles Augustin de Coulomb dies. His best-known achievement is the discovery of Coulomb's law for electrostatic force. The SI unit of charge, the coulomb, was named after him.

Aug. 21, 1814 -

Early American physicist and inventor Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, dies. Thompson's work in questioning the orthodox physical theories of the time helped lay the foundation for revolutions in thermodynamics, especially in the realms of specific heats, heat transfers and thermal conducitivity. His views on heat as a form of motion helped lead to the kinetic theory and also the laws of conservation of energy.

Aug. 20, 1961 -

American physicist Percy Williams Bridgman dies. Bridgman won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in high-pressure physics. Aug. 21, 1993 - The Mars Observer spacecraft signal is lost by NASA.

Aug. 21, 1995 -

American astrophysicist (born in British India) Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar dies. Chandrasekhar's theoretical work in cosmology and stellar evolution earned him the 1983 Nobel Prize in physics. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory satellite, deployed into space by the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999, was named in his honor after a contest with 6,000 proposed names.

Aug. 24, 2006 -

The International Astronomical Union comes to the conclusion that they will redefine the term "planet" so that Pluto is no longer a planet

Scientists Create World's Thinnest Balloon

Scientists have developed the world's thinnest balloon that is impermeable to even the smallest gas molecules. Above is a multi-layer graphene membrane that could be used in various applications, including filters and sensors. Credit: Jonathan Alden

The Light and Matter Series

The Light and Matter Series of six books is intended for a introductory course.

Newtonian Physics

http://www.lightandmatter.com/area1book1.html

Conservation Laws

http://www.lightandmatter.com/area1book2.html

Vibrations and Waves

http://www.lightandmatter.com/area1book3.html

Electricity and Magnetism

http://www.lightandmatter.com/area1book4.html

Optics

http://www.lightandmatter.com/area1book5.html

The Modern Revolution in Physics

http://www.lightandmatter.com/area1book6.html

The Light and Matter Series

The Light and Matter series of introductory physics textbooks is designed for the type of one-year survey course taken by biology majors.

Newtonian Physics

Conservation Laws Vibrations and Waves Electricity and Magnetism Optics The Modern Revolution in Physics Simple Nature - engineering physics Conceptual Physics

Student Devises Solar Energy ECG Useful In Developing Countries And Troubled Areas

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2008): Electrotechnology student Felix Adamczyk has devised an ECG machine that runs on solar energy. This especially lends itself to use in developing countries or troubled areas. Adamczyk christened it “Kadiri”, which means “make possible” in the Tanzanian language Kiswahili.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080720220017.htm

Send your name to the Moon

Hydrogen Vehicles Coming Soon

Hydrogen Vehicles Coming Soon? Two Million Could Be On Roads By 2020

ScienceDaily (July 18, 2008) — A transition to hydrogen vehicles could greatly reduce U.S. oil dependence and carbon dioxide emissions, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council, but making hydrogen vehicles competitive in the automotive market will not be easy. While the development of fuel cell and hydrogen production technology over the past several years has been impressive, challenges remain.

'Man-made' Water Has Different Chemistry

ScienceDaily (June 20, 2008) — As population growth, food production and the regional effects of climate change place greater stress on the Earth’s natural water supply, “man-made” water – created by removing salt from seawater and brackish groundwater through reverse osmosis desalination – will become an increasingly important resource for millions of humans, especially those in arid regions such as the Middle East, the western United States, northern Africa and central Asia.

Amorphous Materials: How Some Solids Flow Like Liquids

ScienceDaily (July 7, 2008): Scientists at CNRS-affiliated laboratories(1) in Bordeaux, Lyon and Paris have provided the first proof that amorphous materials, also known as soft glasses, deform and flow through a collective movement of their particles. These materials (which include chocolate mousse, shaving cream, mayonnaise, metallic glasses, granular materials and mud) are amorphous solids, in other words, they are resistant like solids but, like liquids, lack a crystalline structure. This discovery, published in the journal Nature, should make it possible to better understand deformation and fracturing in metallic glasses(2) and the spreading of thin layers of fragile materials (such as face creams) used in the cosmetics, food-processing and lubrication industries.

Planetary science: The early Moon was rich in water

Planetary science: The early Moon was rich in water

Marc Chaussidon1

Abstract

Analyses of lunar volcanic glasses show that they are rich in volatile elements and water. If parts of the lunar mantle contain as much water as Earth's, does this imply that the water has a common origin? The Moon's chemical composition differs from Earth's. It is enriched by a factor of two to three in refractory elements (those that condense first from a high-temperature gas) such as aluminium, calcium and titanium; most easily vaporized (that is, volatile) elements, such as sodium and potassium, are rare; and it is considered to be almost devoid of water1.

Nature 454, 170-172 (10 July 2008)

Hammer And Feather On Moon

Hammer And Feather On Moon

Optical Illusion

Optical Illusion

Solutions to IIT - JEE – 2008

Solutions to IIT - JEE – 2008(Paper – 1, Code−7)

Solutions to IIT - JEE – 2008 (Paper – 1, Code−7)

Solutions to IIT - JEE – 2008 (Paper – 1, Code−7)

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

OPTICAL ILLUSION