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→Works: photoelectric effect
Einstein's statistical explanation of Brownian motion (the random movement of microscopic particles mixed in with pollen) helped confirm the atomic theory at a time when some scientists argued against it.<ref>[http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/essay-brownian.htm Einstein on Brownian Motion]</ref>
Einstein's statistical explanation of Brownian motion (the random movement of microscopic particles mixed in with pollen) helped confirm the atomic theory at a time when some scientists argued against it.<ref>[http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/essay-brownian.htm Einstein on Brownian Motion]</ref>
Einstein also explained the photoelectric effect in a way that proved that light has particle like
properties as well as wave like properties. According to Maxwell's equations, increasing the
intensity of light should increase the number of electrons emitted from metal. The German physicist
Lénard did an experiment proving that this was not true. Einstein explained that different particles of light or photons have different frequencies or intensities. Therefore, increasing the intensity of low frequency photons has no effect, while using a higher (blue or ultra violet) frequency of light does cause more electrons to be emitted. The formula Einstein used to explain this was e = hf, where h is Planck's constant and f is the frequency.[http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae24.cfm?CFID=8792067&CFTOKEN=36662276]
Although Einstein won a Nobel Prize for explaining the photoelectric effect, Lénard was bitter and wrote antisemitic books claiming that German physics was superior to the Jewish physics of Einstein.<ref>Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power</ref>
===E=mc<sup>2</sup>===
===E=mc<sup>2</sup>===