By : Neha Dhyani
Updated : Aug 3, 2022, 16:10
The title of "Father of Physics" has been earned by 3 great people - Galileo, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. But, according to records available to historians, physics is as old as the Archaic period in Greece (650-480 BC). Whether it was Thales' discovery of water as a fundamental element or Anaximander's proto-evolutionary theory that proposed Apeiron as a primary element, the Greeks contributed a lot to the field of Physics.
However, if asked 'Who is the father of modern physics?' we'd have to visit the early 16th century, the times of Galileo Galilei, to find the answer. Besides Galileo, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein also contributed massively to physics. Hence, the title of the father of physics in the world goes to three renowned scientists: Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein.
Galileo Galilei, who is Father of Physics, was an Italian mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. He earned the nickname "Father of Physics" because of his pioneering role in finding the motion of bodies and developing the telescope. Incidentally, he confirmed Venus's phases using the telescope and discovered Jupiter's four largest moons.
Learners have been studying his empirical experiments and astronomical discoveries to this day. For example, at 19, Galileo discovered and verified the pendulum's isochronal nature and timed a swinging lamp's oscillations in the Pisa Cathedral.
Sir Isaac Newton was associated with Cambridge University as a physicist and mathematician. He was also a fellow Royal Society of England. Newton, the Father of Physics in World, became famous for his three laws of motion which established the connection between motion and objects.
Albert Einstein transformed the landscape of physics with his Theory of Relativity and played an instrumental role in designing the theory of Quantum Mechanics.
If you are curious about the father of physics in India, check out the table below about the Top Physicists in India. Read to know their important contribution to the field of Physics.
Father of Physics in India | Role |
Sir C.V. Raman. | Field of light scattering. |
Satyendranath Bose. | He specialized in theoretical physics. |
Meghnad Saha. | Developed the Saha ionization equation, which describes chemical and physical conditions in stars. |
Homi J. Bhabha. | He is known for the Indian nuclear program Cascade process of Cosmic radiation point particles. |
Subrahmanyam Chandrashekhar. | He did theoretical studies of the physical processes of the structure and evolution of the stars. |
Vikram Sarabhai. | Initiated space research and helped create nuclear power in India. |
G.N Ramachandran. | He created the Ramachandran plot for understanding peptide structure. |
Jayant Narlikar. | He developed the conformal gravity theory, known as Hoyle–Narlikar theory. It synthesizes Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and Mach's principle. |
Harish Chandra. | He did his entire work in representation theory, especially harmonic analysis on semisimple Lie groups. |
Sandip Chakrabarti. | He designed a computer model to show how life on earth could have formed in outer space. |
Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein are the Fathers of Modern Physics. They have earned the title because of their marvellous discoveries in the field of physics.
Galileo Galilei is the name of father of Observational Physics. He discovered mountains and cavities on the moon, the phases of Venus planet, Jupiter's moons, the stars of the Milky Way, and the first pendulum clock.
Albert Einstein invented the Theory of Relativity and played an instrumental role in designing the theory of Quantum Mechanics. He presented the three laws of motion in 1686.
Newton conceptualized the three laws of motion that established a connection between motion and objects. He also discovered the Law of Universal Gravitation.
Galileo Galilei is known for his pioneering role in finding the motion of bodies and developing the telescope. He also launched a series of devices that would profoundly impact surveying, artillery use, clocks' development, and meteorology.
Sir Ernest Rutherford is the Father of Nuclear Physics. He invented the concept of radioactive half-life, proved alpha and beta radiations in different elements, and later became one of the world's most outstanding experimentalists.
The two fathers of Quantum Physics are Niels Bohr and Max Planck. They received Nobel Prize for their work on quanta. Einstein is considered the third inventor of Quantum Theory because he explained light as quanta in his Photoelectric Effect theory.
The best-known Father of Physics is Isaac Newton, whereas the Father of Chemistry is Antoine Lavoisier. The scientists have received the titles due to their immense contributions in their respective fields.
Physics के जनक (Father of physics in Hindi) गैलिलिओ गैलिलेइ (Galileo Galilei) है। अगर भौतिक विज्ञान के जनक की बात की जाए तो इसमें गैलिलिओ गैलिलेइ (Galileo Galilei), न्यूटन और Albert Einstein का नाम लिया जाता है।
Galileo Galilei was also called "the father of experimental science." Galileo experimented with his ideas through investigations and conveyed them in mathematical form.
Galileo Galilei earned the title of Father of Classical Physics. The particular branch of Physics involves classical mechanics (the study of the movement of fluids and particles), thermodynamics, and electromagnetism.
The most famous father of Nuclear Physics in India is Homi Jenhagir Bhabha. He developed the Nuclear Program in India. Dr.Bhabha also established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for nuclear science research in 1945.
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