Quiz This week, it’s all about physics units named after people
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Born on January 19, 1736, this Scottish engineer brought about fundamental changes to world history by perfecting the steam engine and thereby ushering in the Industrial Revolution. His invention improved power, efficiency and reduced waste of energy. He was responsible for developing the concept of horsepower and consequently the SI unit of power is named after him. What is the unit and his name?
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The base unit of electric current is named after a French mathematician who is considered to be the father of electrodynamics. Completely self-taught, he went on to become a professor. The French polytechnic and his name is one of those inscribed on the Eiffel Tower. Who was this physicist and what is the SI unit of electric current?
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Heinrich ___ was a German physicist who was the first to prove the existence of electromagnetic waves, which were predicted by James Maxwell. To honour this momentous occasion the SI unit of frequency, which corresponds to the cycle per second, is named after him. Commonly seen in radio related application and musical tones, what is the unit?
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William Thomson, 1st Baron ____ was an Irish Scottish physicist and engineer who was responsible for the formulation of the first two laws of thermodynamics. He was also heavily involved in the emergence of physics as a discipline. He was knighted by Queen Victoria for his work on the transatlantic telegraph. His name is known to us through his work on determining the exact value of absolute zero. What was his name and for which entity is it used as a SI unit?
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James Prescott ____ was an English physicist and brewer who studied heat and discovered the relationship between heat and mechanical energy. His studies lead to the law of conservation of energy and he helped the scientist in the previous question to develop a scale. The SI unit is named after him. What is his full name and what is the unit?
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6This person is easily the most famous scientist on the list but he was known as a ‘natural philosopher’ in his day. In 1948, it was announced that his name was adopted as the SI unit for one of the most important entities in physics. That entity is defined as any interaction that changes the motion of an object which forms the central theory around which this scientist’s three famous laws revolve. What is his name and for what entity does it serve as a SI unit of?
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George Simon ___ was a German physicist who, on working with the newly invented electrochemical cell, discovered that there is correlation between the voltage and the resultant electric current. This formed the basis for a law named after him in the 1860s. Consequently his name became the SI unit for electrical resistance. What is the unit?
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Werner von ____ was a German electrical engineer who became famous for making advances in already existing technologies. He built the first electric elevator and patented a better dynamo. He invented a telegraph that used a needle to point to the right letter, instead of using Morse code and started a company in his name to produce it which is now one of the largest electric-technology firms in the world. What was his name which became the SI unit of electrical conductance which you would probably recognise from the world of technology?
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Alessandro was an Italian physicist and chemist who is credited with inventing the battery and discovering the gas methane. His battery proved that electricity could be generated chemically and debunked the then prevalent theory that electricity was generated solely by living beings. Consequently the SI unit of electric potential is named after him. What is his name and what is the unit?
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This is the unit of magnetic flux density and was named so in 1960, 17 years after his death. Although he never obtained a degree in engineering or physics, this scientist was responsible for some of the most futuristic inventions in electricity. The modern Alternating Current system which powers our houses was designed by him. In 2003, an American electric car company was founded in his name and now also sells rechargeable batteries, solar panels and solar roof tiles. Who was this iconic scientist and what is the unit?
