Atoms

What it's about:

Theories of atom-like particles have existed ever since ancient greece. But at the end of the 19th century, they became an importance scientific concept that was still very much in discussion.

After Albert Einstein published his theoretical explanation of botanist James Brown’s observations of pollen movement in a puddle of water, Jean Baptiste Perrin did a variety of experiments proving Einstein’s theory of molecules.

Jean Perrin

Born September 30th 1870 in Lille, France, educated at the École Normale Supérieure, Paris, Perrin joined the faculty of the University of Paris (1898) where he became professor of physical chemistry (1910–40). He studied cathode rays and electrons before taking interest in Brownian motion and Einstein's theories.

For this achievement he was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1926.

Where?

Discovery Description:

Albert Einstein theorized the observations of pollen motion in a puddle of water made by botanist Robert Brown in 1827 (Brownian motion) as the result of atoms hidding the pollen at all times in all directions.

Jean Baptiste Perrin was able to deduce from the continuous movement of pollen that it was in fact pushed randomly by atoms, hence prooving the existence of atoms in matter.

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