Gustav Kirchhoff | |
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Born | Gustav Robert Kirchhoff 12 March 1824 |
Died | 17 October 1887 | (aged 63)
Resting place | Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof |
Alma mater | University of Königsberg |
Known for | |
Awards |
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Scientific career | |
Fields | Physics Mathematics |
Institutions | |
Doctoral advisor | Franz Ernst Neumann[citation needed] |
Notable students |
Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (German: [ˈkɪʁçhɔf]; 12 March 1824 – 17 October 1887) was a German physicist and mathematician who contributed to the fundamental understanding of electrical circuits, spectroscopy, and the emission of black-body radiation by heated objects.[1][2]
He coined the term black-body radiation in 1860.
Several different sets of concepts are named "Kirchhoff's laws" after him, which include Kirchhoff's circuit laws, Kirchhoff's law of thermal radiation, and Kirchhoff's law of thermochemistry.
The Bunsen–Kirchhoff Award for spectroscopy is named after Kirchhoff and his colleague, Robert Bunsen.