Walter Kaufmann (physicist)
| Walter Kaufmann | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | June 5, 1871 Elberfeld |
| Died |
January 1, 1947 (aged 75) Freiburg im Breisgau |
| Citizenship | German |
| Known for | Proof of the velocity dependence of mass |
Walter Kaufmann (June 5, 1871 – January 1, 1947) was a German physicist. He is best known for the first experimental proof of the velocity dependence of mass, which was an important contribution to the development of modern physics, including special relativity.
In 1890/91 Kaufmann studied mechanical engineering at the technical universities of Berlin and Munich. From 1892 he studied physics at the Universities of Berlin and Munich, attaining a doctorate in 1894. From 1896 he was an assistant at the physical institutes of the Universities of Berlin and Göttingen. Kaufmann habilitated in 1899 and became a professor extraordinarius of physics in at the University of Bonn. After further work at the Berliner Physikalisches Institut he became professor ordinarius for experimental physics and leader of the physical institute at the Albertina in Königsberg, where he taught until he retired in 1935. Later, he was guest lecturer at the University of Freiburg.
Kaufmann's early work (1901–1903) confirmed for the first time the velocity dependence of the electromagnetic mass (later called relativistic mass) of the electron. However, the measurements were not accurate enough to differentiate between the Lorentz ether theory and that of Max Abraham.
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