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German NernstNobel Prize in Chemistry, 1920
Date of Birth: 25.06.1864
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Hermann Walter Nernst
Early Life and EducationGerman chemist Hermann Walter Nernst was born in Brieg, a town in East Prussia (now Wąbrzeźno, Poland). He was the third child of Gustav Nernst, a Prussian judge, and Ottilie (Nerger) Nernst. Nernst studied natural sciences, literature, and classical languages at the gymnasium in Graudenz and graduated as the top student in his class in 1883. Initially, Nernst wanted to become a poet, but his chemistry teacher sparked his interest in science.
During his time at university from 1883 to 1887, Nernst studied physics at the universities of Zurich (under Henri Weber), Berlin (under Hermann von Helmholtz), Graz (under Ludwig Boltzmann), and Würzburg (under Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Kohlrausch). It was Boltzmann, who emphasized the importance of explaining natural phenomena based on the theory of atomic structure, that led Nernst to study the combined effects of magnetism and heat on electric current. Nernst's work in this area, conducted under Kohlrausch's guidance, led to the discovery that a metal conductor heated at one end and positioned perpendicular to an electric field generates an electric current. For this research, Nernst obtained his doctoral degree in 1887. Around the same time, Nernst met chemists Svante Arrhenius, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Jacobus van 't Hoff. Ostwald and van 't Hoff had recently started publishing the journal "Zeitschrift für physikalische Chemie" ("Journal of Physical Chemistry"), in which they reported on the increasing use of physical methods to solve chemical problems. In 1887, Nernst became Ostwald's assistant at Leipzig University, and despite being significantly younger than Ostwald, van 't Hoff, and Arrhenius, he was considered one of the founders of the new discipline of physical chemistry. In Leipzig, Nernst worked on both theoretical and practical problems in physical chemistry.
Contributions to Physical Chemistry
In 1888 and 1889, Nernst studied the behavior of electrolytes (electrically charged particles or ions in solution) when an electric current is passed through them and discovered a fundamental law known as Nernst's equation. This equation establishes the relationship between electromotive force (potential difference) and ion concentration. Nernst's equation allows the prediction of the maximum working potential that can be obtained through electrochemical interactions, such as the maximum potential difference of a chemical battery, when only basic physical parameters like pressure and temperature are known. Therefore, this law connects thermodynamics with electrochemical theory in the domain of solving problems related to highly diluted solutions. Thanks to this work, 25-year-old Nernst gained worldwide recognition.
In 1890 and 1891, Nernst studied substances that do not mix when dissolved in liquids. He developed his distribution law and characterized the behavior of these substances as a function of concentration. The Henry's law, which describes the solubility of gases in liquids, later became known as a special case of Nernst's law. Nernst's distribution law has important implications in medicine and biology as it allows the study of the distribution of substances in different parts of living organisms.
In 1891, Nernst was appointed adjunct professor of physics at Göttingen University. Two years later, he published his textbook on physical chemistry, titled "Theoretical Chemistry From the Standpoint of Avogadro's Rule and Thermodynamics," which went through 15 editions and served as a reference for over three decades. Considering himself a physicist engaged in chemistry, Nernst defined physical chemistry as the intersection of two sciences that were previously somewhat independent.
Nernst based his physical chemistry on the hypothesis of Italian chemist Amedeo Avogadro, who believed that equal volumes of any gases always contain the same number of molecules. Nernst referred to this as the "horn of plenty" of molecular theory. The conservation of energy, a fundamental principle of thermodynamics underlying all natural processes, was also of great importance. Nernst emphasized that the foundations of physical chemistry lie in the application of these two main principles to solve scientific problems. In 1894, Nernst became a professor of physical chemistry at Göttingen University and established the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry at the Kaiser Wilhelm Society. Together with a group of scientists from different countries, he conducted research on topics such as polarization, dielectric constants, and chemical equilibrium.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1905, Nernst left Göttingen to become a professor of chemistry at Berlin University. That same year, he formulated his "heat theorem," now known as the third law of thermodynamics. This theorem allows the use of heat data to calculate chemical equilibrium, predicting how far a given reaction will go before reaching equilibrium. Throughout the following decade, Nernst defended and continually tested the accuracy of his theorem, which later found applications in diverse areas such as testing quantum theory and industrial synthesis of ammonia, a significant step in the production of explosives. In 1912, based on his derived heat law, Nernst demonstrated the impossibility of reaching absolute zero. "It is impossible," he said, "to create a heat engine in which the temperature of a substance is reduced to absolute zero." From this conclusion, Nernst hypothesized that as the temperature approaches absolute zero, there is a tendency for the physical activity of substances to disappear. The physics of low temperatures and solid-state physics rely on the third law of thermodynamics.
Nernst was an amateur automobile enthusiast in his youth and served as a driver in a voluntary motor division during World War I. He also worked on the development of chemical weapons, which he considered the most humane way to end the deadly stalemate on the Western Front. After the war, Nernst returned to his laboratory in Berlin. In 1921, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which had been granted in 1920, "in recognition of his work in thermodynamics." In his Nobel lecture, Nernst stated that "more than 100 experimental investigations allowed me to amass sufficient data to confirm the new theorem with the precision required, despite the sometimes complex nature of the experiments."
From 1922 to 1924, Nernst served as the president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Applied Physics in Jena. However, when post-war inflation prevented him from making the desired changes to the institute, he returned to Berlin University as a professor of physics. Until the end of his professional career, Nernst continued his studies on cosmological problems arising from the discovery of the third law of thermodynamics, particularly the concept of the "heat death of the universe," which he opposed, as well as photochemistry and chemical kinetics.
In 1892, Nernst married Emma Lohmeyer, the daughter of a renowned surgeon in Göttingen. They had two sons (both died during World War I) and a daughter. Nernst had a strong individuality and a passion for life, coupled with a keen sense of humor. Throughout his life, he maintained a deep love for literature and theater, particularly admiring the works of Shakespeare. As an excellent organizer of scientific institutions, Nernst helped convene the first Solvay Conference, establish the German Electrochemical Society, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute.
When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, Nernst resisted the efforts of the Nazis to question the contributions of Albert Einstein and other Jewish scientists. He argued to his colleagues that the anti-Semitism of Philipp von Lenard, Johannes Stark, and others would hinder progress in physics and chemistry. In 1934, Nernst resigned and settled in his home in Lusatia, where he unexpectedly died from a heart attack in 1941. Nernst was a member of the Berlin Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society in London.
