Ernst Mach - Scientists, Facts and Childhood
Ernst Mach's Personal Details
Ernst Mach was a famous Austrian physicist who discovered the Mach number used to represent the ratio of velocity of sound
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | February 18, 1838 |
| Died on | February 19, 1916 |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Famous | Scientists, Physicists |
| Universities |
|
| Birth Place | Brno, Czech Republic |
| Religion | History of the term |
| Gender | Male |
| Sun Sign | Aquarius |
| Born in | Brno, Czech Republic |
| Famous as | Physicist |
| Died at Age | 78 |
// Famous Scientists
Juliane Koepcke
Juliane Koepcke is a German-Peruvian biologist, who was the lone survivor among the 92 passengers and crew of the ill-fated LANSA Flight 508 that crashed in the Peruvian rainforest on 24 December 1971. Know more about her life in this biography.
Henry Cavendish
Henry Cavendish was a theoretical chemist and physicist, renowned for discovery of hydrogen and calculation of the mass of earth. To know more about his childhood, profile, timeline and career read on
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was a Russian rocket scientist and a pioneer of astronautics. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, family, personal life, career, achievements, etc.
Ernst Mach's photo
Who is Ernst Mach?
Ernst Waldfried Josef Wenzel Mach was a noted Austrian philosopher and physicist. He is well known for his contributions to the fields of physics, philosophy and physiological psychology. He was the first physicist to study the super-sonic motion, which led to his name being used as a standard for measuring super-sonic speed. His work is cited as the influence for the further understanding of Doppler Effect. One of his most notable contributions was his critique and eventual rejection of Isaac Newton’s notion regarding time and space, which later served as an inspiration for Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity. In philosophy, His views and observations formed the backbone for the ideas of logical positivism and American pragmatism among others. His best known philosophical contribution is considered to be his influence on the Vienna Circle (the pre-Vienna Circle association was named ‘Ernst Mach Verein’). Some of his influences are now being re-examined for being more complicated and delicate than their evaluation in the past. He also was an important historian of science and chaired the Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences at the University of Vienna. His positivist-empiricist views influenced generations to come due to his systematic rejections of conservative views on both philosophy and physics.
// Famous Physicists
Henry Cavendish
Henry Cavendish was a theoretical chemist and physicist, renowned for discovery of hydrogen and calculation of the mass of earth. To know more about his childhood, profile, timeline and career read on
Walter Kohn
Nobel Laureate Walter Kohn was an Austrian-born American theoretical chemist and physicist. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, best known for his development of alternating current electrical systems. This biography of Nikola Tesla provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Childhood & Early Life
Ernst Mach was born to Johann Mach and Josephine Lanhaus, as the oldest among their three children. He was born on February 18, 1838, in Chirlitz-Turas, Moravia (now Brno, Czech Republic).
His family moved to a farmhouse close to Vienna when he was two, where he continued receiving his education till the time he was fourteen. His father’s excellent education and mother’s artistic nature shaped his knowledge with both philosophical and scientific inclinations.
After his education at home, he entered school at a Gymnasium in Kroměříž where he studied for the next three years. In 1855, he enrolled as a student in the ‘University of Vienna’ and studied physics and also medical physiology for a year.
In 1860, he presented his thesis on electrical charge and induction, which earned him a doctorate in physics. He also received his Habilitation the following year.
Career
From 1860-1862, Mach worked for his mentor Andreas von Ettinghausen, as a Privatdozent in the latter’s laboratory. There, he spent years conducting experiments on optics and acoustics and also embarked on a detailed study of the Doppler Effect.
He continued teaching at the ‘University of Vienna’ and the lion’s share of his earnings came from giving sought-after lectures on psychophysics, optics and musical acoustics.
In 1864, he took an appointment as the professor of mathematics at ‘Graz University’. After two years, he was also appointed as a professor of physics.
He left Graz in 1867, and became a professor for experimental physics at ‘Karls-Universität’ (Charles University) in Prague, where he lived for almost the next three decades. In Prague, he conducted research on retinal stimuli, auditory perception, wave motion and also studied the propagation of sound waves with the use of photographic devices, which gave the terms ‘Mach Number’ and ‘Mach Angle’.
He deduced and experimentally confirmed the existence of shock waves which appear in the form of a cone with the projectile at the tip.
His work ‘on the effect of spatial distribution of the light stimulus on the retina’, led to discoveries which are now known as ‘Mach Bands’.
During his tenure in Prague, the renowned physicist opposed the segregation of Czech and German faculty. Still, the segregation occurred and he was appointed as the head of the German division of the University.
In 1895, he was invited to Vienna where he chaired the newly established department of the theory of inductive science. He published ‘Prinzipien der Wärmelehre’ (‘The Principle of Thermodynamics’) a year later.
During his tenure as Dean of Philosophy in Vienna, he suffered a stroke in 1898, which paralysed the right half of his body. Three years later, he announced his retirement and abstained himself from being involved in further research.
However he did not let his poor health hinder his lectures, and in 1905, published ‘Erkenntnis und Irrtum’ (‘Knowledge and Error’), and five years later, his autobiography.
Major Works
One of the best known ideas put forward by the revolutionary physicist, is known as ‘Mach’s Principle’ which dealt with the physical origins of inertia, but he never wrote it down. It was conveyed in a verbal graphic form, which was credited to Mach by Philipp Frank.
His most important work is said to be the ‘The Science of Mechanics: A Critical and Historical Account of Its Development’, which has shaped the minds of several upcoming scientists over the course of time. Albert Einstein mentioned Mach’s influence on him to be the reason he changed his outlook towards physics.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1867, Ernst Mach married Ludovica Marussig in Graz. They later on had five children - four sons and one daughter.
His son Ludwig Mach was one of his closest collaborators, assisting him in experiments he conducted during his tenure in Prague. Mach and Ludwig were able to photograph the shadows of the invisible shock waves.
After suffering from a paralysing stroke, the physicist moved near Munich, to Vaterstetten, to be close to his son Ludwig. Mach died on February 19th of 1916 due to heart disease and was buried at the cemetery of Haar.
The ‘Ernst Mach Grants’ named after him, is financed by the ‘Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy’ to encourage foreign researchers to pursue academics in Austria.
He is credited as the founding father of the field of Philosophy of Science.
Trivia
While Ernst Mach was a professor at the ‘University of Graz’, he made acquaintance with Emanuel Herrmann, who later went on to invent the postcard in 1869.
He criticized Max Planck for his approach in proving the existence of atoms, which he considered to be incompatible with physics.
// Famous Aquarius Celebrities peoples
Jessii Vee
Check out all that you wanted to know about Jessii Vee, the famous Canadian Vlogger & YouTube Personality; her birthday, her family and personal life, her boyfriends, fun trivia facts and more.
Luara Fonseca
Luara Fonseca, known on the web as “luaraff,” is a musical.ly star. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.
Shane Blanchard
Shane Blanchard is an American TV actor. Let’s take a look at his family and personal life including age, birthday, net worth, family life and some fun facts.
Ernst Mach biography timelines
- // 18th Feb 1838Ernst Mach was born to Johann Mach and Josephine Lanhaus, as the oldest among their three children. He was born on February 18, 1838, in Chirlitz-Turas, Moravia (now Brno, Czech Republic).
- // 1855After his education at home, he entered school at a Gymnasium in Kroměříž where he studied for the next three years. In 1855, he enrolled as a student in the ‘University of Vienna’ and studied physics and also medical physiology for a year.
- // 1860In 1860, he presented his thesis on electrical charge and induction, which earned him a doctorate in physics. He also received his Habilitation the following year.
- // 1860 To 1862From 1860-1862, Mach worked for his mentor Andreas von Ettinghausen, as a Privatdozent in the latter’s laboratory. There, he spent years conducting experiments on optics and acoustics and also embarked on a detailed study of the Doppler Effect.
- // 1864In 1864, he took an appointment as the professor of mathematics at ‘Graz University’. After two years, he was also appointed as a professor of physics.
- // 1867He left Graz in 1867, and became a professor for experimental physics at ‘Karls-Universität’ (Charles University) in Prague, where he lived for almost the next three decades. In Prague, he conducted research on retinal stimuli, auditory perception, wave motion and also studied the propagation of sound waves with the use of photographic devices, which gave the terms ‘Mach Number’ and ‘Mach Angle’.
- // 1867In 1867, Ernst Mach married Ludovica Marussig in Graz. They later on had five children - four sons and one daughter.
- // 1869While Ernst Mach was a professor at the ‘University of Graz’, he made acquaintance with Emanuel Herrmann, who later went on to invent the postcard in 1869.
- // 1895In 1895, he was invited to Vienna where he chaired the newly established department of the theory of inductive science. He published ‘Prinzipien der Wärmelehre’ (‘The Principle of Thermodynamics’) a year later.
- // 1898During his tenure as Dean of Philosophy in Vienna, he suffered a stroke in 1898, which paralysed the right half of his body. Three years later, he announced his retirement and abstained himself from being involved in further research.
- // 1905However he did not let his poor health hinder his lectures, and in 1905, published ‘Erkenntnis und Irrtum’ (‘Knowledge and Error’), and five years later, his autobiography.
- // 1916After suffering from a paralysing stroke, the physicist moved near Munich, to Vaterstetten, to be close to his son Ludwig. Mach died on February 19th of 1916 due to heart disease and was buried at the cemetery of Haar.
// Famous Austrian peoples
Martin Buber
One of the greatest philosophers to have ever walked on earth, Martin Buber contributions to philosophy is a long-standing one. Explore all about his profile, childhood, life and timeline here.
Boris Kodjoe
Boris Kodjoe is a German-Ghanaian actor from Austria. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal was an Austrian writer and a famous Nazi hunter. This biography gives detailed information about his childhood, life, works, and timeline.
Friedrich von Hayek
Friedrich von Hayek was a Nobel Prize winning Austrian-British economist and philosopher, best known for his defense of classical liberalism. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life and achievements.
Walter Kohn
Nobel Laureate Walter Kohn was an Austrian-born American theoretical chemist and physicist. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Reina Triendl
Reina Triendl is a Japanese fashion model, actor, and tarento. Explore more about her childhood, family, personal life, career, etc.
Ernst Mach's FAQ
What is Ernst Mach birthday?
Ernst Mach was born at 1838-02-18
When was Ernst Mach died?
Ernst Mach was died at 1916-02-19
Where was Ernst Mach died?
Ernst Mach was died in Munich
Which age was Ernst Mach died?
Ernst Mach was died at age 78
Where is Ernst Mach's birth place?
Ernst Mach was born in Brno, Czech Republic
What is Ernst Mach nationalities?
Ernst Mach's nationalities is Austrian
What was Ernst Mach universities?
Ernst Mach studied at University of Vienna
What is Ernst Mach's religion?
Ernst Mach's religion is History of the term
What is Ernst Mach's sun sign?
Ernst Mach is Aquarius
How famous is Ernst Mach?
Ernst Mach is famouse as Physicist