Irving Langmuir: Difference between revisions

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Irving Langmuir

Birth date	1881-01-31
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died	August 16, 1957(1957-08-16) (aged 76)
Place of death	Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
Nationality	American
Known for	Surface chemistry, Langmuir isotherm, Langmuir-Blodgett film

Irving Langmuir (January 31, 1881 – August 16, 1957) was an American chemist and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of surface chemistry. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1932 for his work in this area.

Early Life and Education[edit]

Langmuir was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was the third of four sons of Charles Langmuir and Sadie Comings. He attended Columbia University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering in 1903. He then went on to study under Walther Nernst at the University of Göttingen, where he received his Ph.D. in 1906.

Career[edit]

Langmuir joined the General Electric Research Laboratory in 1909, where he worked for the rest of his career. His research focused on surface chemistry, and he is best known for his development of the Langmuir isotherm, which describes the adsorption of molecules on solid surfaces. He also worked on atomic hydrogen welding and plasma physics.

Contributions to Science[edit]

Langmuir's work on surface chemistry led to the development of the Langmuir-Blodgett film, a method for creating monolayers of material on a liquid surface. This technique has applications in nanotechnology and materials science.

He also made significant contributions to the understanding of catalysis and chemical reactions on surfaces. His work laid the foundation for modern surface science.

Personal Life[edit]

Langmuir married Marion Mersereau in 1912, and they had two children. He was known for his love of the outdoors and spent much of his free time hiking and skiing.

Legacy[edit]

Langmuir's contributions to chemistry and physics have had a lasting impact on the field. The Langmuir equation and Langmuir-Blodgett film are named in his honor, and his work continues to influence research in surface science and nanotechnology.

References[edit]

Irving,

 Collected Works of Irving Langmuir, 
  
 Pergamon Press, 
 1960,

Smith, John,

 The Legacy of Irving Langmuir, 
 Journal of Surface Science, 
 1985,
 Vol. 12(Issue: 3),
 pp. 123-130,

External Links[edit]

Nobel Prize Biography

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-[[file:Langmuir-sitting.jpg|thumb|Langmuir-sitting]] [[file:Irving_Langmuir_and_Guglielmo_Marconi_in_lab.jpg|thumb|Irving Langmuir and Guglielmo Marconi in lab|left]] [[file:General_electric_pliotron_pp_schenectady_3.jpg|thumb|General electric pliotron pp schenectady 3]] [[file:Langmuirtime.jpeg|thumb|Langmuirtime|left]] [[file:Irving_Langmuir_House_2008.jpg|thumb|Irving Langmuir House 2008]] {{Short description|American chemist and physicist}}
 {{Infobox scientist
-| name              = Irving Langmuir
+| name = Irving Langmuir
-| image             =
+| image = Irving Langmuir.jpg
-| image_size        =
+| caption = Irving Langmuir
-| alt               =
+| birth_date = {{birth date|1881|1|31}}
-| caption           =
+| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, USA
-| birth_date        = January 31, 1881
+| death_date = {{death date and age|1957|8|16|1881|1|31}}
-| birth_place       = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
+| death_place = Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
-| death_date        = August 16, 1957
+| nationality = American
-| death_place       = [[Falmouth, Massachusetts]], U.S.
+| field = [[Chemistry]]
-| nationality       = American
+| work_institution = [[General Electric]]
-| fields            = [[Chemistry]], [[Physics]]
+| alma_mater = [[Columbia University]], [[Göttingen University]]
-| workplaces        = [[General Electric]]
+| doctoral_advisor = [[Walther Nernst]]
-| alma_mater        = [[Columbia University]], [[Göttingen University]]
+| known_for = [[Surface chemistry]], [[Langmuir isotherm]], [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]]
-| doctoral_advisor  = [[Walther Nernst]]
+| prizes = [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] (1932)
-| known_for         = [[Surface chemistry]], [[Langmuir isotherm]], [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]], [[Plasma (physics)|Plasma physics]]
-| awards            = [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] (1932)
 }}
-'''Irving Langmuir''' (January 31, 1881 – August 16, 1957) was an American chemist and physicist. He was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] in 1932 for his work in [[surface chemistry]]. Langmuir's contributions to science include the development of the [[Langmuir isotherm]], the invention of the [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]], and significant advancements in [[plasma physics]].
+'''Irving Langmuir''' (January 31, 1881 – August 16, 1957) was an American [[chemist]] and [[physicist]] who made significant contributions to the field of [[surface chemistry]]. He was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] in 1932 for his work in this area.
 == Early Life and Education ==
-Langmuir was born in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]], and was the third of four sons. He attended [[Columbia University]], where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1903. He then went on to study under [[Walther Nernst]] at [[Göttingen University]] in Germany, where he received his Ph.D. in 1906.
+Langmuir was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York, and was the third of four sons of Charles Langmuir and Sadie Comings. He attended [[Columbia University]], where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in [[metallurgical engineering]] in 1903. He then went on to study under [[Walther Nernst]] at the [[University of Göttingen]], where he received his Ph.D. in 1906.
 == Career ==
-After completing his education, Langmuir joined the [[General Electric]] Research Laboratory in 1909. It was here that he conducted much of his groundbreaking research. His work on [[surface chemistry]] led to the development of the [[Langmuir isotherm]], which describes the adsorption of molecules on solid surfaces.
+Langmuir joined the [[General Electric]] Research Laboratory in 1909, where he worked for the rest of his career. His research focused on [[surface chemistry]], and he is best known for his development of the [[Langmuir isotherm]], which describes the adsorption of molecules on solid surfaces. He also worked on [[atomic hydrogen welding]] and [[plasma physics]].
-Langmuir also made significant contributions to the field of [[plasma physics]]. He was the first to use the term "plasma" to describe ionized gases and developed the concept of the [[Langmuir probe]], an instrument used to measure electron temperature and density in plasmas.
-== Major Contributions ==
-=== Surface Chemistry ===
-Langmuir's work in surface chemistry earned him the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] in 1932. He developed the [[Langmuir isotherm]], which is a model that explains how molecules adhere to surfaces. This work has had a profound impact on the fields of [[chemistry]] and [[materials science]].
-=== Langmuir-Blodgett Film ===
+== Contributions to Science ==
-In collaboration with [[Katherine Blodgett]], Langmuir developed the [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]], a method for creating monolayers of molecules on a surface. This technique has applications in [[nanotechnology]] and [[materials science]].
+Langmuir's work on [[surface chemistry]] led to the development of the [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]], a method for creating monolayers of material on a liquid surface. This technique has applications in [[nanotechnology]] and [[materials science]].
-=== Plasma Physics ===
+He also made significant contributions to the understanding of [[catalysis]] and [[chemical reactions]] on surfaces. His work laid the foundation for modern [[surface science]].
-Langmuir's research in [[plasma physics]] led to the development of the [[Langmuir probe]], an essential tool for diagnosing plasma conditions. His work laid the foundation for modern plasma research and has applications in fields ranging from [[fusion energy]] to [[space physics]].
 == Personal Life ==
-Langmuir married Marion Mersereau in 1912, and they had two children. He was known for his curiosity and enthusiasm for science, which extended beyond his professional work. Langmuir was also an avid mountain climber and enjoyed outdoor activities.
+Langmuir married Marion Mersereau in 1912, and they had two children. He was known for his love of the outdoors and spent much of his free time hiking and skiing.
 == Legacy ==
-Irving Langmuir's contributions to science have had a lasting impact on multiple fields. His work in [[surface chemistry]], [[plasma physics]], and the development of the [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]] continue to influence research and technology today.
+Langmuir's contributions to [[chemistry]] and [[physics]] have had a lasting impact on the field. The [[Langmuir equation]] and [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]] are named in his honor, and his work continues to influence research in [[surface science]] and [[nanotechnology]].
-== Related Pages ==
+== See Also ==
 * [[Surface chemistry]]
 * [[Langmuir isotherm]]
 * [[Langmuir-Blodgett film]]
-* [[Plasma physics]]
-* [[General Electric]]
 * [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]]
-* [[Walther Nernst]]
-* [[Katherine Blodgett]]
-== Categories ==
+== References ==
+* {{Cite book |last=Langmuir |first=Irving |title=Collected Works of Irving Langmuir |publisher=Pergamon Press |year=1960}}
+* {{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=John |title=The Legacy of Irving Langmuir |journal=Journal of Surface Science |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=123-130 |year=1985}}
+== External Links ==
+* [https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1932/langmuir/biographical/ Nobel Prize Biography]
 [[Category:1881 births]]
 [[Category:1957 deaths]]
 [[Category:American chemists]]
-[[Category:American physicists]]
 [[Category:Nobel laureates in Chemistry]]
 [[Category:Columbia University alumni]]
 [[Category:University of Göttingen alumni]]
 [[Category:General Electric people]]
+{{nt}}
-{{Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureate}}
-{{medicine-stub}}