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Katharine Burr Blodgett Facts & Worksheets

Katharine Burr Blodgett was an American physicist and chemist known for her work on surface chemistry, and particularly for inventing the color gauge and non-reflective or “invisible” glass.

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Katharine Burr Blodgett was an American physicist and chemist known for her work on surface chemistry, and particularly for inventing the color gauge and non-reflective or “invisible” glass. She was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge University.

See the fact file below for more information on the Katharine Burr Blodgett or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Katharine Burr Blodgett worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Katharine Burr Blodgett was born on January 10, 1898 in Schenectady, New York.
  • Katie, as she was called, was the second child of George Blodgett and Katharine Burr.
  • Her father worked as a patent lawyer for the General Electric Company.
  • Katharine’s father was shot and killed in his home during a burglary just before her birth.
  • General Electric offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the killer, but the suspect ended up hanging himself in jail.
  • Katharine’s father had left them enough money for their family to be financially secure.
  • Her mother decided to take her and her brother George Jr. to New York City, where they lived for three years.
  • In 1901, they moved to France. They lived there for a few years, then returned to New York in 1912.
  • In New York, Katharine was enrolled in the Rayson School, where she excelled in math and science.
  • She completed high school at the age of fifteen.
  • After graduation, she enrolled in Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania on a scholarship and received her BA degree in 1917.

CAREER

  • She continued to excel in physics and mathematics, and decided that she wanted to work at General Electric like her father.
  • Unlike her father who was a patent lawyer, she wanted to be a scientist; the first one in GE at that.
  • Only men had worked as research scientists at General Electric at that time.
  • In 1917, Blodgett visited the General Electric plant in Schenectady.
  • Irving Langmuir, a chemist and former colleague of Katharine’s father, told her that she would need to get a master’s degree in order to work there.
  • She took Langmuir’s advice and immediately began her master’s at the University of Chicago.
  • At the University of Chicago, she studied the chemical structure of gas masks with Harvey B. Lemon.
  • She obtained her master’s degree in physics in 1918.
  • In the same year, General Electric hired her as their first female scientist.
  • During her time in the company, she published a paper in the scientific journal Physical Review which stated that the usage of carbon molecules could make gas masks more effective.
  • After six years of working at General Electric, she decided to pursue a doctoral degree.
  • Langmuir, who became her mentor, arranged for her to study physics at Cambridge University, despite some reluctance from the administrators due to the fact that she was a woman.
  • In 1924, she temporarily left General Electric to pursue her Ph.D.
  • In 1924, she enrolled at Newnham College, Cambridge University.
  • Two years later, in 1926, she obtained her Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge, making her the first woman to do so.
  • She immediately returned to General Electric following her graduation.

SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS

  • In 1935, she worked with Langmuir in creating glass that had 44 monomolecular coatings.
  • As a result, they were able to make glass that had no reflection. The glass was named the Langmuir-Blodgett film.
  • Blodgett also created the color gauge which was an accurate and precise method of measuring the molecular coats that were put on glass.
  • Normally, the length of the molecular coats was as microscopic as one millionth of one inch.
  • She was also awarded with eight US patents throughout her lifetime.
  • She also invented poison gas absorbents, airplane wing deicing systems, and methods for improving smoke screens.

HONORS & AWARDS

  • In 1945, Blodgett was awarded with the annual Achievement Award by the American Association of University Women for her role as a female scientist.
  • In 1951, she was honored by the respectable American Chemical Society with the Francis Garvan Medal for her work on monomolecular films.
  • Also in 1951, she was chosen by the US Chamber of Commerce to be part of their “15 Women of Achievement” list.
  • The mayor of Schenectady also honored her by making June 13 Katharine Blodgett Day for the honor she had brought to their community.

PERSONAL LIFE

  • After almost five decades, she retired from General Electric in 1963.
  • She did not get married and devoted her life to science.
  • At 81 years old, she passed away in her home on October 12, 1979.

Katharine Burr Blodgett Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Katharine Burr Blodgett across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Katharine Burr Blodgett worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Katharine Burr Blodgett who was an American physicist and chemist known for her work on surface chemistry, and particularly for inventing the color gauge and non-reflective or “invisible” glass. She was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge University.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Katharine Burr Blodgett Facts
  • Blodgett’s Biography
  • Blodgett or Bluff?
  • New Vocabulary
  • General Trivia
  • Consider Them Useful
  • Areas of Chemistry
  • Woman In Science
  • Sequencing Events
  • Katharine’s Best Traits
  • Importance of Mentors

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