Outline of Physics - Famous Physicists

Famous Physicists

  • Ibn al-Haytham – Father of optics and discovered reflection and refraction.
  • Archimedes – discovered the laws of flotation and developed Archimedes' principle.
  • Galileo Galilei – "Father of modern physics.".
  • Isaac Newton – Laid the groundwork for classical mechanics, made significant contributions to the field of optics and co-invented calculus. Often considered the greatest physicist of all time.
  • Albert Einstein – Generally considered greatest scientist of the 20th century. Developed both the Special and General Theories of Relativity and proved the existence of atoms beyond doubt.
  • Niels Bohr – made fundamental contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics. Widely considered one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century.
  • Richard Feynman – Expanded the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and developed the tool known as Feynman diagrams.
  • Robert Oppenheimer – "Father of the atomic bomb."
  • Nikola Tesla – One of the main influences of the second industrial revolution and widely known for his work on electromagnetism.
  • Stephen Hawking – made fundamental contributions to black hole physics and cosmology. Also authored popular books on these subjects.

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