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Carl David Anderson Facts & Worksheets

Carl David Anderson was an American physicist known for his discovery of the positron in 1932 (the positron is a positive electron).

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Carl David Anderson was an American physicist known for his discovery of the positron in 1932 (the positron is a positive electron). He also won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work with positrons and muons in 1936.

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Key Facts & Information

PERSONAL LIFE

  • Carl David Anderson was born on September 3, 1905, in New York City.
  • Carl was the only child of Swedish parents. His mother was Emma Adolfina Ajaxson, and his father was Carl David Anderson, Sr.
  • As a child, Carl wanted to pursue a career in athletics as a high jumper. Carl and his family moved to Los Angeles, and Carl went to the LA Polytechnic High School, where his interest in science was born.
  • In 1924, Carl went to the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech).
  • Carl got his bachelor’s degree in 1927 and continued his education in graduate school on a research grant, concentrating on physics and mathematics.
  • While Carl was teaching, he received his doctorate with honors in 1930. His mentor was physicist Robert Andrews Millikan.
  • In 1932, Carl recorded the photograph of a positively charged electron passing through the lead plate in the center of the cloud chamber.
  • After working with Millikan at Caltech as a researcher, Carl was promoted to an assistant professor position in 1933.
  • In 1939 Carl, was promoted to Professor of Physics.
  • During World War II, he was on a project for the National Defense Research Committee and the Office of Scientific Research and Development. He helped develop rockets for the military.
  • In 1944, Carl went to Normandy to observe the use of Caltech’s rockets under battle conditions.
  • In 1946, Carl married Lorraine Bergman. This was his wife’s second marriage. She had a three-year-old son, who he adopted. They had another son, David, who was born in 1949.
  • Carl received support from the Office of Naval Research to fly cloud chambers in two B-29 airplanes in 1947. The data collected in the aircraft helped with information on the decay of primary cosmic ray particles.
  • Carl’s work on cosmic rays in the 1930s and 1940s was important for the development of modern particle physics.
  • In 1962, Carl was made chairman of the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy. He held this position until his retirement in 1970.
  • Carl was made the Board of Trustees Professor of Physics Emeritus in 1976.
  • He died on January 11, 1991, at the age of 85.

CAREER

  • Carl also studied in the field of x-rays. For his thesis, he studied the space in between when the photoelectrons were ejected from different kinds of gases by X-rays.
  • While working under Professor Millikan, he began his studies in cosmic rays. This line of studies led him to find the positron in 1932. The positron, also known as an antielectron, is the antimatter counterpart of the electron. It has the same mass as an electron. When a positron collides with an electron, annihilation occurs.
  • Carl’s positron find was verified by British physicist Patrick MS Blackett and Italian physicist Giuseppe Occhialini.
  • Carl continued to study the energy distribution of cosmic-ray particles and their energy loss. This proved that gamma rays from THC generate positrons in their passage through material substances in 1933.
  • In 1933, he continued his studies in radiation and fundamental particles.
  • Carl was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, which he shared with Victor Hess.
  • In 1936, Carl discovered the mu-meson/muon, which is a subatomic particle that is 207 times heavier than the electron. His initial thought of the discovery was that he was looking at the meson, postulated by Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa, that binds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of the atom, but the muon was found to interact weakly with particles.
  • Most of his work has been published in The Physical Review.
  • Carl was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1938, and he became chairman of the Physics section from 1963 – 1966.
  • He was also a fellow at the American Physical Society and a member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Sigma Xi, and Tau Beta Pi.

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

  • Gold Medal from the American Institute of the City of New York in 1935
  • Nobel Peace Prize in Physics in 1936
  • D from Colgate University in 1937
  • Elliott Cresson Medal from the Franklin Institute also in 1937
  • Presidential Certificate of Merit in 1945
  • D from Temple University in 1949
  • John Ericsson Medal from the American Society of Swedish Engineers in 1960

Carl David Anderson Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Carl David Anderson across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Carl David Anderson worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Carl David Anderson who was an American physicist known for his discovery of the positron in 1932 (the positron is a positive electron). He also won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work with positrons and muons in 1936.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Carl David Anderson Facts
  • Carl David Anderson Profile
  • Fill in the Blanks
  • Carl David Anderson Quiz
  • True or False
  • Carl Quotes
  • Vocabulary
  • Complete Me
  • Be a Journalist
  • Match the Date to the Fact
  • Shine the light

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