Irving Langmuir

Date of Birth: January 31, 1881

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Date of Death: August 16, 1957

Biography

Irving Langmuir was an American chemist and physicist who made significant contributions to surface chemistry, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1932. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Langmuir showed an early interest in science and mathematics. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from Columbia University in 1903 and later obtained his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Göttingen in Germany in 1906. Langmuir joined the General Electric Company in 1909, where he conducted much of his groundbreaking research. His work on adsorption isotherms and the invention of the gas-filled incandescent lamp were pivotal. He is also known for his studies on atomic hydrogen and contributions to the development of high-vacuum techniques. Langmuir’s work extended beyond chemistry; he made significant advancements in understanding electrical discharges in gases, which had implications for the development of electronics and plasma physics. Throughout his career, Langmuir published extensively and was honored with numerous awards and honorary degrees. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and various other prestigious institutions. Langmuir’s legacy continues to influence modern science and technology.

5 Interesting Facts about Irving Langmuir

1. Irving Langmuir won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1932 for his discoveries and investigations in surface chemistry.

2. He developed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model, which describes the adsorption of molecules on solid surfaces.

3. Langmuir worked on the development of the high-vacuum technique, which was crucial for advancements in electronics and material science.

4. He collaborated with Katherine Blodgett to create the Langmuir-Blodgett film, a method for creating monolayers of molecules on a substrate.

5. Langmuir was an advocate for scientific integrity and often spoke out against pseudoscience and unverified claims.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Irving Langmuir

1. “History is more or less bunk. It’s tradition. We don’t want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker’s damn is the history we make today.”

2. “The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth.”

3. “The most important fundamental laws and facts of physical science have all been discovered, and these are now so firmly established that the possibility of their ever being supplanted in consequence of new discoveries is exceedingly remote.”

4. “The language of experiment is more authoritative than any reasoning: facts can destroy our ratiocination—not vice versa.”

5. “As a scientist, I can have no belief system that is not based on empirical evidence.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Irving Langmuir’s highest net worth achieved was not publicly documented, but he earned a comfortable living working for General Electric and through his numerous patents and scientific contributions.

Children

Irving Langmuir had two children, Kenneth and Barbara. Kenneth pursued a career in engineering, while Barbara followed in her father’s footsteps with a keen interest in scientific research.