Key developments in Physics

400 BCE. Democritus suggests that there might be a limit to the divisibility of matter. (Atomos is the Greek word for indivisible.)
350 BCE. Aristotle suggests that the Earth is at the centre of the Universe, with the Sun, Moon, and planets on crystal spheres around it.
240 BCE. Eratosthenes estimates the diameter of the Earth by comparing shadow angles in different places.
60 CE. Hero makes a small turbine driven by jets of steam.
150 CE. Ptolemy suggests that the Earth is at the centre of the Universe, and that the Sun, Moon, and planets are moving in perfect circles.
1000 Magnetic compass used in China.
1543 Copernicus suggests that the Sun is at the centre of the Universe, with the Earth and planets moving around it.
1600 Gilbert suggests that the Earth acts like a giant bar magnet.
1604 Galileo shows that all falling objects should have the same, steady acceleration.
1621 Snell states his law of refraction.
1644 Torricelli makes the first mercury barometer.
1654 Guericke demonstrates atmospheric pressure.
1662 Boyle states his law for gases.
1678 Huygens puts forward his wave theory of light.
1679 Hooke states his law for elastic materials.
1687 Newton publishes his theory of gravity and laws of motion.
1714 Fahrenheit makes the first mercury thermometer.
1752 Franklin performs a hazardous experiment with a kite to show that lightning is electricity.
1790 Herschel discovers the shape of our galaxy.
1800 Volta makes the first battery.
1803
- Dalton suggests that matter is made up of atoms.
- Young demonstrates the wave nature of light.
1821 Faraday makes a simple form of electric motor.
1825 Ampère works out a law for the force between current-carrying conductors.
1827 Ohm states his law for metal conductors.
1832
- Faraday demonstrated electromagnetic induction.
- Sturgeon makes the first moving - coil meter.
1840 First use of words ‘physicist’ and ‘scientist’.
1849
- Fizeau measures the speed of light.
- Joule establishes the link between heat and work.
1852 Kelvin states the law of conservation of energy.
1864 Maxwell predicts the existence of radio waves and other electromagnetic waves.
1877 Cailletet liquefies oxygen.
1879 Swan and Edison make the first electric light bulbs.
1888 Hertz demonstrates the existence of radio waves.
1894 Marconi transmits the first radio signals.
1895 Röntgen discovers X-rays.
1896 Becquerel discovered radioactivity.
1897 Thomson discovers the electron.
1898 M. Curie discovered radium and polonium.
1899 Rutherford identifies alpha and beta rays.
1909 Planck proposes the quantum theory.
1905 Einstein uses the quantum theory to explain the photoelectric effect, and publishes his special theory of relativity.
1911 Rutherford proposes a nuclear model of the atom
1913 Bohr uses the quantum theory to modify Rutherford's model of the atom.
1916 Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.
1919 Rutherford splits the atom and discovers the proton.
1924 De Broglie suggests that particles can behave as waves.
1925 Schrödinger wave-mechanics model of the atom.
1927 Lemaitre suggests the possibility of the Big Bang.
1928 Geiger and Müller invent their radiation detector.
1929 Hubble discovers that the Universe is expanding.
1932
- Chadwick discovered the neutron.
- Cockroft and Walton produce the first nuclear change using a particle accelerator.
1938 Hahn discovered nuclear fission.
1942 Fermi builds the first nuclear reactor.
1947 Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley make the first transistor.
1957 First artificial satellite, Sputnik I, put into orbit.
1958 St Clair Kilby makes the first integrated circuit.
1960 Maiman builds the first laser.
1963 First geostationary communications satellite.
1969 First manned landing on the Moon.
1971 Intel Corporation makes the first microprocessor.
1977 First experimental evidence of quarks.
1990 Hubble Space Telescope launched.
2012 Higgs particle discovered.

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Physics - AQA

Chapter 12: History of key ideas

Key developments in Physics

400 BCE. Democritus suggests that there might be a limit to the divisibility of matter. (Atomos is the Greek word for indivisible.)
350 BCE. Aristotle suggests that the Earth is at the centre of the Universe, with the Sun, Moon, and planets on crystal spheres around it.
240 BCE. Eratosthenes estimates the diameter of the Earth by comparing shadow angles in different places.
60 CE. Hero makes a small turbine driven by jets of steam.
150 CE. Ptolemy suggests that the Earth is at the centre of the Universe, and that the Sun, Moon, and planets are moving in perfect circles.
1000 Magnetic compass used in China.
1543 Copernicus suggests that the Sun is at the centre of the Universe, with the Earth and planets moving around it.
1600 Gilbert suggests that the Earth acts like a giant bar magnet.
1604 Galileo shows that all falling objects should have the same, steady acceleration.
1621 Snell states his law of refraction.
1644 Torricelli makes the first mercury barometer.
1654 Guericke demonstrates atmospheric pressure.
1662 Boyle states his law for gases.
1678 Huygens puts forward his wave theory of light.
1679 Hooke states his law for elastic materials.
1687 Newton publishes his theory of gravity and laws of motion.
1714 Fahrenheit makes the first mercury thermometer.
1752 Franklin performs a hazardous experiment with a kite to show that lightning is electricity.
1790 Herschel discovers the shape of our galaxy.
1800 Volta makes the first battery.
1803
- Dalton suggests that matter is made up of atoms.
- Young demonstrates the wave nature of light.
1821 Faraday makes a simple form of electric motor.
1825 Ampère works out a law for the force between current-carrying conductors.
1827 Ohm states his law for metal conductors.
1832
- Faraday demonstrated electromagnetic induction.
- Sturgeon makes the first moving - coil meter.
1840 First use of words ‘physicist’ and ‘scientist’.
1849
- Fizeau measures the speed of light.
- Joule establishes the link between heat and work.
1852 Kelvin states the law of conservation of energy.
1864 Maxwell predicts the existence of radio waves and other electromagnetic waves.
1877 Cailletet liquefies oxygen.
1879 Swan and Edison make the first electric light bulbs.
1888 Hertz demonstrates the existence of radio waves.
1894 Marconi transmits the first radio signals.
1895 Röntgen discovers X-rays.
1896 Becquerel discovered radioactivity.
1897 Thomson discovers the electron.
1898 M. Curie discovered radium and polonium.
1899 Rutherford identifies alpha and beta rays.
1909 Planck proposes the quantum theory.
1905 Einstein uses the quantum theory to explain the photoelectric effect, and publishes his special theory of relativity.
1911 Rutherford proposes a nuclear model of the atom
1913 Bohr uses the quantum theory to modify Rutherford's model of the atom.
1916 Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.
1919 Rutherford splits the atom and discovers the proton.
1924 De Broglie suggests that particles can behave as waves.
1925 Schrödinger wave-mechanics model of the atom.
1927 Lemaitre suggests the possibility of the Big Bang.
1928 Geiger and Müller invent their radiation detector.
1929 Hubble discovers that the Universe is expanding.
1932
- Chadwick discovered the neutron.
- Cockroft and Walton produce the first nuclear change using a particle accelerator.
1938 Hahn discovered nuclear fission.
1942 Fermi builds the first nuclear reactor.
1947 Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley make the first transistor.
1957 First artificial satellite, Sputnik I, put into orbit.
1958 St Clair Kilby makes the first integrated circuit.
1960 Maiman builds the first laser.
1963 First geostationary communications satellite.
1969 First manned landing on the Moon.
1971 Intel Corporation makes the first microprocessor.
1977 First experimental evidence of quarks.
1990 Hubble Space Telescope launched.
2012 Higgs particle discovered.