Walther Nernst
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{{Infobox_Scientist
| name = Walther Nernst
| image = Walther Nernst 2.jpg|250px
| image_width = 250px
| caption = Walther Hermann Nernst (1864-1941)
| birth_date = {{birth date|1864|6|25|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wąbrzeźno|Briesen]], [[West Prussia]]/[[Pomerania]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1941|11|18|1864|6|25}}
| death_place = [[Zibelle]], [[Germany]]
| residence = [[Germany]]
| nationality = [[Germany|German]]
| field = [[Physicist]]
| work_institution = [[University of Göttingen]]</br>[[University of Berlin]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Zürich]]</br>[[University of Berlin]]</br>[[University of Graz]]</br>[[University of Wurzburg]]
| doctoral_advisor = [[Friedrich Kohlrausch]]
| doctoral_students = [[Francis Simon|Sir Frances Simon]], </br>[[Richard Abegg]], </br>[[Irving Langmuir]][[Image:Nobel prize medal.svg|20px]], </br>[[Leonid Andrussov]]
| known_for = Work on [[electrolytes]]
| prizes = [[Image:Nobel prize medal.svg|20px]] [[Nobel Prize in chemistry]] (1920)
| religion =
| footnotes =
}}
'''Walther Hermann Nernst''' ([[June 25]], [[1864]] – [[November 18]], [[1941]]) was a [[Germany|German]] [[physicist]] who is known for his theories behind the calculation of [[chemical affinity]] as embodied in the [[third law of thermodynamics]], for which he won the 1920 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Nernst helped establish the modern field of [[physical chemistry]] and contributed to [[electrochemistry]], [[thermodynamics]], [[solid state chemistry]] and [[photochemistry]]. He is also known for developing the [[Nernst equation]].
==Biography==
Nernst was born in [[Wąbrzeźno|Briesen]] in [[West Prussia]] (now [[Wąbrzeźno]] in [[Poland]]). He studied physics and mathematics at the universities of [[University of Zürich|Zürich]], [[University of Berlin|Berlin]] and [[University of Graz|Graz]]. After some work at [[Leipzig]], he founded the ''Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry'' at [[Göttingen]]. Nernst [[invent]]ed, in 1897, the [[Nernst lamp]], an [[Lamp (electrical component)|electric lamp]] using an incandescent ceramic rod (the successor to the [[Arc lamp|carbon lamp]] and the precursor to the [[incandescent lamp]]). Nernst researched [[osmotic pressure]] and [[electrochemistry]]. In 1905, he established what he referred to as his "New Heat Theorem", later known as the [[Third law of thermodynamics]] (which describes the behavior of [[matter]] as temperatures approach [[absolute zero]]).
In 1920, he received the [[Nobel Prize in chemistry]] in recognition of his work in thermochemistry. In 1924, he became director of the ''Institute of Physical Chemistry'' at Berlin, a position from which he retired in 1933. Nernst went on to work in [[electroacoustics]] and [[astrophysics]].
Nernst developed an [[electric grand piano|electric piano]], the "Neo-[[C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik|Bechstein]]-Flügel" in 1930 in association with the Bechstein and Siemens companies, replacing the sounding board with radio amplifiers. The piano used electromagnetic [[pickup (music)|pickup]]s to produce electronically modified and amplified sound in the same way as an [[electric guitar]].
His [[Nernst lamp|Nernst glower]], important in the field of infra-red [[spectroscopy]], is a solid-body radiator with a filament of rare-earth oxides. Continuous ohmic heating of the filament results in conduction. The glower operates best in wavelengths from 2 to 14 micrometers.
Nernst died in 1941 and is buried near [[Max Planck]] in [[Göttingen]], Germany.
==Publications==
* Walther Nernst, "''Reasoning of theoretical chemistry: Nine papers (1889-1921)''" (Ger., Begründung der Theoretischen Chemie : Neun Abhandlungen, 1889-1921). Frankfurt am Main : Verlag Harri Deutsch, c. 2003. ISBN 3-8171-3290-5
* Walther Nernst, "''The theoretical and experimental bases of the New Heat Theorem''" (Ger., Die theoretischen und experimentellen Grundlagen des neuen Wärmesatzes). Halle [Ger.] W. Knapp, 1918 [tr. 1926]. [ed., this is a list of thermodynamical papers from the physico-chemical institute of the University of Berlin (1906-1916); Translation available by Guy Barr (LCCN 27002575)])
* Walther Nernst, "''Theoretical chemistry from the standpoint of Avogadro's rule and thermodynamics''" (Ger., Theoretische Chemie vom Standpunkte der Avogadroschen Regel und der Thermodynamik). Stuttgart, F. Enke, 1893 [5th edition, 1923]. LCCN po 28000417
==Further reading==
* Mendelssohn, Kurt A. G., "''The world of Walther Nernst. The rise and fall of German science.''". Macmillan, 1973 (biography).
* Barkan, Diana Kormos, "''Walther Nernst and the Transition to Modern Physical Science''". Cambridge University Press, 1998.
* Bartel, Hans-Georg and Huebener, Rudolf P. "''Walther Nernst. Pioneer of Physics and of Chemistry''". World Scientific, 2007.
==External links and references==
{{Commons|Walther Hermann Nernst}}
* Katz, Eugenii, "''[http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/~eugeniik/history/nernst.htm Hermann Walther Nernst]''". Biographies of Famous Electrochemists and Physicists Contributed to Understanding of Electricity.
** "''Hermann Walther Nernst, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1920 : [http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/~eugeniik/history/nernst_nobel.htm Prize Presentation]''". Presentation Speech by Professor Gerard de Geer, President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
* Schmitt, Ulrich, "''[http://www.nernst.de/ Walther Nernst]''". Physicochemical institute, Göttingen
* "''[http://physicsweb.org/article/review/12/9/3 Nernst: architect of physical revolution]''". Physics World, September 1999.
* Suhling, Lothar, "''[http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?url=http%3A//www.gnt-verlag.de/programm/15/p343-356_suhling.shtml&lp=de_en&tt=url Walther Nernst and the ammonia synthesis after Haber and Bosch]''". ISBN 3-928186-15-9
* [http://almaz.com/nobel/chemistry/1920a.html recognition of his work in thermochemistry]
<br />{{Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureates 1901-1925}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nernst, Walther}}
[[Category:Thermodynamicists]]
[[Category:German chemists]]
[[Category:University of Göttingen faculty]]
[[Category:People associated with the University of Zurich]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Chemistry]]
[[Category:German Nobel laureates]]
[[Category:People from West Prussia]]
[[Category:1864 births]]
[[Category:1941 deaths]]
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