Albert Einstein Inventions

A theoretical physicist and philosopher, Albert Einstein was the most influential scientist of 20th century. He was born on 14th March, 1879, in Ulm, Germany. Known as the father of modern physics, Einstein received his Nobel in 1921 for contributions to Theoretical Physics. So what did Albert Einstein invent? Einstein though is famous for his theoretical work, he didn't invent many things as such; it is a lesser known fact that only one of Albert Einstein's inventions i.e. the 'Einstein Refrigerator' was patented. Before getting into the details of his work, let us glance over the early life of Albert Einstein.

In his youth, Einstein hated the dull and boring methods of teaching used in those times. His academic performance was average. Einstein's curious nature and ability to understand the difficult mathematical concepts all by himself were the signs of his exceptional talent. He was able to learn Euclidean geometry at the age of 12 through self-study. It is said that in his childhood days, Einstein would sit in a room full of partying people happily solving his mathematical problems. Now let us have a look at some of the inventions of Albert Einstein.

List of Albert Einstein Inventions

Most of the topics/concepts discussed below may not be considered inventions in conventional terms. 'Einstein Refrigerator' is the only thing deemed as an 'invention' in the real sense. The timeline of inventions of Albert Einstein shows that most of his inventions were actually theoretical concepts that laid the foundation for further research. Let us have a look at these inventions one-by-one.

Atomic Bomb
It is considered as one of the notable inventions by Einstein. Answer to the question whether Einstein himself invented the atomic bomb, is not that straightforward. The equation e=mc², formulated by him played an important role in the development of this nuclear weapon. As per the equation e=mc², mass and energy are interchangeable to a certain extent. Einstein however, was not a part of the team which developed the atom bomb. He had written a letter to the US President Roosevelt urging him to build the atomic bomb before the invasive Germans attempted to do so. He however, condemned the use of atomic bomb by USA - which led to destruction in Hiroshima.

Einstein Refrigerator
It is an absorption refrigerator which makes use of heat for running/fueling the cooling system. Albert Einstein invented this refrigerator jointly with Leo Szilard, a former student. The Einstein Refrigerator was patented on 11th November, 1930. Objective of Einstein and Szilard in developing this refrigerator was to make improvements in the home refrigeration technology. News of an accident, which took place due to breaking of a refrigerator seal was the reason why Einstein and Szilard tried to find a safe alternative. Specialty of the Einstein Refrigerator is that it doesn't incorporate any moving parts.

Photoelectric Effect
In a paper on the subject of photoelectric effect, Einstein stated that light is made up of particles. It was also stated that these light particles (photons) contain energy. Energy present in photons is proportional to that of frequency of radiation. The relation between energy and radiation frequency is presented with the help of a formula, E=hu. In this formula, 'E' stands for energy while 'u' symbolizes frequency of radiation. The symbol 'h' denotes Planck's constant. Earlier, it was considered that light traveled in the form of waves. The discovery and studies made by Einstein helped in understanding some of these basic concepts of physics. The concept of quantum revolutionized the study of physics. Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in the year 1921 for his research on the subject of photoelectric effect.

The Special Theory of Relativity
This theory was developed by Albert Einstein in his attempt to reconcile the laws of electromagnetic field with those of classical mechanics. The essence or core of this theory incorporate two fundamental concepts. The first concept is that the uniform motion is always relative. Second concept is that 'the state of rest' cannot be defined i.e. it is not absolute. The special theory of relativity was presented by Einstein in a paper titled 'On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies' in 1905.

General Theory of Relativity
The explanations about 'The General Theory of Relativity' had all started with a postulate presented by Einstein. Research about the Theory of Relativity is amongst the important accomplishments of Albert Einstein. The important postulate of Einstein can be quoted as follows, "gravitational fields are equivalent to accelerations of the frame of reference". This postulate can be elaborated with the help following example. People in an elevator (which is descending) are unable to understand which force (gravitation or acceleration of elevator) actually governs their own motion.

The inventions of Albert Einstein inventions and his theories were of great help to scientists of 20th century. The theory of relativity as proposed by this famous scientist can be considered a milestone in the history of scientific development. Information about these inventions and theories should help readers gain an insight into the important works of Albert Einstein.