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Table of Contents
Ludwig Boltzmann was an Austrian physicist and mathematician who greatly contributed to the scientific fields of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, both of which are main pillars of modern physics.
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Key Facts & Information
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
- Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann was born in Erdberg, a suburb of Vienna, on February 20, 1844.
- His father was Ludwig Georg Boltzmann, a tax official, and his mother was Katharina Pauernfeind, who came from an affluent family.
- After being taught by a private tutor for his primary education, Ludwig attended high school in Linz where his aptitude in science and mathematics was recognized.
- Ludwig Boltzmann was 15 years old when his father died.
- In 1863, at 19 years old, Ludwig Boltzmann enrolled at the University of Vienna to study mathematics and physics.
- He earned his doctorate three years later in 1866 and his venia legendi (which is Latin for “permission for lecturing”) in 1869.
- His doctoral thesis on the kinetic theory of gases was supervised by the director of the institute of physics, Josef Stefan, to whom Boltzmann eventually became an assistant.
- Josef Stefan was the one who introduced Boltzmann to the work of James Clerk Maxwell.
ACADEMIC CAREER
- Ludwig Boltzmann held professorships in mathematics, experimental physics, and theoretical physics at several universities, namely the University of Graz, University of Vienna, University of Munich, and University of Leipzig.
- In 1869, Boltzmann joined the University of Graz as Professor of Mathematical Physics.
- In 1873, Boltzmann was appointed professor of mathematics at the University of Vienna, where he stayed until 1876.
- In 1876 Boltzmann returned to Graz to be Chair of Experimental Physics.
- In 1890, Boltzmann became Chair of Theoretical Physics at the University of Munich.
- In 1894, Boltzmann succeeded Joseph Stefan as Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Vienna.
- For a short time from 1900 to 1902, he taught at the University of Leipzig.
- In 1902, he returned to Vienna, back to the theoretical physics chair position he previously vacated.
- In Vienna, he also taught philosophy, and his philosophy lectures were widely celebrated, to the point where even the biggest lecture hall in the University could no longer accommodate the audience who came for his lectures.
SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
- In the 1870s, Boltzmann published a series of papers in which he demonstrated that the second law of thermodynamics could be explained by applying the laws of mechanics and the atomic theory of matter.
- In simple terms, the second law of thermodynamics states that the state of entropy of the whole universe always increases.
- Entropy is a measure of how much the atoms in a substance are free to move around and randomly arrange themselves.
- Boltzmann’s take on the second law is that it could be interpreted by applying the theory of probability to the motions of the atoms.
- He formulated the structure of statistical mechanics, which was further researched by American mathematical physicist Josiah Willard Gibbs.
- Boltzmann devised the general law for the distribution of energy among different parts of a system at a certain temperature and came up with the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution law. This law states that the average amount of energy in each different direction of motion of an atom is the same.
- He worked out an equation, the Boltzmann equation, for the change in the distribution of energy among atoms due to atomic collisions.
- The Boltzmann equation was formulated to describe the dynamics of an ideal gas, and laid the foundations for statistical mechanics.
- His work on statistical mechanics was met with much negative criticism at first, particularly by scientists who based physics solely on energy and not atoms, but his discoveries were eventually supported by the 1900s with the rise of further studies in atomic physics.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS
- Boltzmann recognized the importance of the electromagnetic theory proposed by James Clerk Maxwell, on which he wrote a treatise in two volumes.
- Boltzmann also formulated detailed calculations in the kinetic theory of gases.
- Boltzmann also worked on a derivation for black-body radiation based on Stefan’s law.
- In 1903, Boltzmann, together with Gustav von Escherich and Emil Müller, founded the Austrian Mathematical Society.
PERSONAL LIFE & DEATH
- In 1872, Boltzmann met Henriette von Aigentler, an aspiring mathematics and physics teacher at the University of Graz, and four years later, they were married.
- They had three daughters: Henriette (1880), Ida (1884), and Else (1891); and a son, Arthur Ludwig (1881).
- Boltzmann had to defend his theories to critics.
- Boltzmann spent a great deal of effort in his final years defending his theories.
- Boltzmann’s mental health deteriorated to the point that he had to resign from his position in Vienna in 1906.
- His mental illness symptoms would indicate that he had what would be diagnosed today as bipolar disorder.
- He died by suicide on September 5, 1906. He hung himself while on vacation with his wife and daughter in Duino, Italy.
- There is an inscription of Boltzmann’s entropy formula on his tombstone.
Ludwig Boltzmann Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Ludwig Boltzmann across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Ludwig Boltzmann worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Ludwig Boltzmann who was an Austrian physicist and mathematician who greatly contributed to the scientific fields of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, both of which are main pillars of modern physics.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Ludwig Boltzmann Facts
- Choose to Complete
- All About Austria
- True or False?
- Boltzmann’s Biography
- Quote Inspiration
- Imaginary Monologue
- Notable Austrians
- Minds of Thermodynamics
- Memorial For Ludwig
- Introducing Mr. Ludwig
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