Max Planck
Q U A NT U M P H Y S I C I S T W HO WA S AW A RD E D T H E N O B E L P R I Z E I N
1 9 1 8 F O R H I S D E V E L O P M E N T O F T H E L AW O F R A D I AT I O N A N D
THE QUANTUM THEORY
“ I C O U L D H AV E E A S I LY B E C O M E A L I N G U I S T O R A H I S T O R I A N .
W H AT B R O U G H T M E T O T H E E X A C T N AT U R A L S C I E N C E S W A S A
M A T H E M A T I C S L E C T U R E I A T T E N D E D A T T H E U N I V E R S I T Y,
W H I C H I F O U N D E M O T I O N A L LY S AT I S F Y I N G A N D I N S P I R I N G ” –
MAX PLANCK
BY JENNY AMARAL AKA ERNA
Planck Family History
 Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck was born in Kiel, Germany on April 23,
1858
 Son of Johann Julius Wilhem Planck and second wife Emma Patzig
 His great-grandfather and grandfather were both Theology professors
in Göttinger –
his uncle a judge
 Max was the youngest of six children,
two of them from his father’s first
marriage
Education
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Max graduated high school at an early age of 16
He was an extremely gifted musician having taken
voice lessons along with piano and organ, cello
and composed songs and operas, and although he
could have easily made this his career, he instead
chose to study physics.
Max chose physics, not for discovery, but simply to understand the fundamentals of physics and thus, began
his studies in Munich 1874
In 1877, he studied in Berlin for a year where he became close friends with famous physicist Hermann von
Helmholz, who was, in his teachings, according to Max, never quite prepared, spoke slowly, made endless
miscalculations, and overall a bore to his listeners.
Max also met Gustav Kirchhoff, who somewhat opposingly to Hermholz, in his teachings, spoke in prepared
lectures that were dry and monotonous.
While there, Planck also met with mathematician Karl Weierstrass.
In October 1878, Planck passed his qualifying exams and in February 1879, gave his dissertation, “Über den
zweiten Hauptsatz der mechanischen Wärmetheorie” (On the second fundamental theorem of the mechanical
heat theory)
June 1880, he presented his thesis, “Gleichgewichtszustände isotroper Körper in verschiedenen
Temperaturen” (Equilibrium states of isotropic bodies at different temperatures
Academic Career
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With the completion of his thesis, Planck became an unpaid private lecturer in Munich and later in April
1885, became an associate professor of theoretical physics at the University of Kiel while continuing
his work in heat theory, and by 1892 became a full professor.
In 1907 he refused a positions in Vienna to stay in Berlin.
1909, eight of his lectures were used by the Ernest Kempton Adams Fund for Physical Research in
Theoretical Physics at Columbia University in New York City.
He retired January 10, 1926 in Berlin and was succeeded by Erwin Schrödinger
"What Is Life?" ( Erwin Schrödinger): desivideonetwork.com
Sixty Symbols: Schrödinger’s Cat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCOE__N6v4o
Science of Humor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9laTS_8_QHg
Sitcom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCOE__N6v4o
Planck Family
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Planck married Marie Merck in March 1887 and had four children: Karl (1888-1916), twins Emma (18891919) and Grete (1889-1917), and Erwin (1893-1945)
In the vicinity of Berlin where many professors of Berlin University resided, Planck became good friends with a
famous theologian Adolf von Harnack. During this time, Planck’s home became place of social and cultural
nature where he had frequent visitors. Those visitors included Albert Einstein - creator of the theory of
relativity, and others like Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner.
After several happy years the Planck family was struck with several tragedies.
In October 1909, Marie Planck died from tuberculosis
In March 1911, Planck remarried to Marga von Hoesslin (1882-1948) and fathered his third son, Herrmann.
His oldest son, Karl, was killed in action in Verdun
during World War I; Erwin was taken prisioner in 1914
by the French; and his two daughters both died giving
birth to their first child, Grete in 1917 and Emma in 1919.
And finally, in 1945, Erwin, his closest son was executed
bythe Nazis for his failed attempt to assassinate
Adolf Hitler in July 1944.
Quantum Theory
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Quantum theory is the nature of matter!
The quantum theory is the work of, not only Max Planck (the originator of quantum theory), but of
Werner Heisenberg (who formulated the Uncertainty Principle also known as the principle of
indeterminacy – one of the most eminent laws of quantum theory). Other brilliant physicist include
Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Wolfgang Pauli, and Max Born.
Quantum physics is the leading theory in hopes to understand how our universe was created.
Are quantum effects responsible for matter forming discrete entities, instead of spreading out evenly
during the birth of the universe?
The answer to this question is still being debated today!
Max Planck & Quantum Physics 1 of 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ9aoE94d78
Max Planck & Quantum Physics 2 of 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp8WY8k6dbI
Blackbody Radiation
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Blackbody radiation or “cavity radiation” is thermal radiation from a black body (an object that absorbs
electromagnetic radiation)
Through his research in the observations of the radiation of heated materials, Planck discovered a
constant that enabled him
to define a new universal set of physical units – that energy is not
continuous
He developed a formula which showed that energy is always emitted or absorbed in units, otherwise
known as quanta, which further helped to develop his theory in quantum physics that led to this universal
constant, now known as Planck’s Constant
Planck’s constant states that energy of each quantum is equal to the frequency of radiation multiplied
by the universal constant –E=f*h, where h is 6.63 * 10E-34 Js – which
revolutionized
physics because it contradicted ideas about the nature of radiation
and energy
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Law of Radiation:
http://classes.atmos.uiuc.edu/100C/Atmos100/day05.html
Blackbody Radiation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Af_VMTxZY
Sixty Symbols – Planck’s constant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz2D1aahd5A
Kaiser Wilhelm Society
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The Kaiser Wilhelm Society (founded in 1911) was an important scientific institution during World War II that was
devoted to different fields in scientific research for the advancement of science
Planck became president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society in 1930 at the age of 72 until 1937 and after National Socialists
came to power was confronted with difficult questions
In an effort to preserve the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, Planck had to make unavoidable compromises while still supporting
his colleagues who’s lives were in danger and also managed to re-employ a number of Jewish scientists.
In 1938, Planck resigned in protest of the Nazi regime who shortly after bombed his villa in Berlin
In 1945, he temporarily became president again and in 1946 was the only scientist to attend the Newton anniversary
celebrations at the Royal Society in London where he became Honorary President of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society that
later became the Max Planck Society founded on February 26, 1948 - but not until after Max Planck’s death on
October 4, 1947 (age 89)
Max Planck Institute
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The Max Planck Institute is a an independent non-profit society devoted to research for the
advancement of science.
There are currently 80 research facilities throughout Germany in the following fields of study listed
below…
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Biology and Medicine
Chemistry
Physics
Technology
Humanities
Max Planck Institute:
http://www.mpg.de/english/portal/index.html
Further Work & Publications
PLANCK ALSO WORKED WITH ALBERT EINSTEIN (FOUNDER OF THE THEORY OF
RELATIVITY) MAKING HIS OWN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE THEORY
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Planck’s Publications include…
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Vorlesungen über Thermodynamik (1897)
Entropy and Temperature of Radiant Heat - Annalen der Physik,
vol. 1. no 4. April, pg. 719-737 (1900)
On the Law of Distribution of Energy in the Normal Spectrum
– Annalen der Physik, vol. 4, p. 553 ff (1901)
“Reality is ... just a very specific, narrow slice of that vast range
of what our thoughts try to encompass.”
Max Planck, "From the lecture on the law of causality and free will." February 1923
Works Sited
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Nobelprize.org
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Max Planck – Biography
 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1918/planck-bio.html
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Max Planck Institue
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Mulitmedia
 http://www.mpg.de/english/aboutTheSociety/history/maxPlanckBiography/index.html
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Quantum Theory
 http://www.thebigview.com/spacetime/quantumtheory.html
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Planck and Quantum of Energy
 http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/dream/june2001/article-1.htm
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Max-Planck-Exhibition
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Family, Childhood, Youth
 http://www.max-planck.mpg.de/seite03/english.html
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The Kaiser Wilhelm Society under National Socialism – Cambridge University Press
 http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=052187906X