Quantum physics was not the work of a single genius work; rather, it was a multi-generational race that dismantled foundation of classical science. While Max Planck is credited with sparking the revolution in 1900, the discovery of quantum physics evolved through two distinct eras: the Old Quantum Theory and the birth of Modern Quantum Mechanics.
1. Spark: Max Planck (1900)
For centuries, scientists believed energy was continuous. In 1900, German physicist Max Planck was trying to solve the Black-body Radiation problem—mystery of why hot objects glowed in specific colors.
To make the math work, he made what he called an act of desperation: he assumed energy wasn’t continuous but came in discrete units. He called these units quanta (from the Latin for how much).
Planck introduced fundamental constant h (now known as Planck’s Constant), which relates energy of a quantum to its frequency through the formula:
Planck didn’t initially believe these packets were real; he thought they were just a mathematical trick. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918 for this discovery.
2. Realist: Albert Einstein (1905)
While Planck was hesitant, Albert Einstein took the idea literally. In 1905, he used the concept of quanta to explain the photoelectric effect (how light hitting metal can eject electrons).
Einstein proposed that light itself is made of individual particles, which we now call photons. This proved that quantization wasn’t just a quirk of how matter absorbs energy—it was a fundamental property of the universe.
3. Architect: Niels Bohr (1913)
The next leap came from Niels Bohr, who applied quantum ideas to the atom. Before Bohr, the “planetary model” suggested electrons orbited the nucleus like planets. However, classical physics said those electrons should lose energy and crash into the center.
Bohr proposed that electrons could only exist in specific, quantized orbits. When an electron jumps from a high-energy orbit to a lower one, it emits a photon. This quantum leap explained why atoms are stable and why they emit specific colors of light.
4. Revolutionaries (1925–1927)
By the mid-1920s, the “Old Quantum Theory” was struggling to explain complex atoms. A new generation of physicists stepped in to create mathematical framework we use today:
| Scientist | Contribution |
| Werner Heisenberg | Developed Matrix Mechanics and the Uncertainty Principle, stating you cannot know a particle’s position and momentum simultaneously. |
| Erwin Schrödinger | Formulated Wave Mechanics and the famous Schrödinger Equation, treating particles as “wave functions.” |
| Max Born | Discovered the Probabilistic Interpretation, suggesting quantum physics doesn’t tell us where a particle is, but where it is likely to be. |
| Paul Dirac | Combined quantum mechanics with special relativity, predicting the existence of antimatter. |
Summary of the Founders
If you had to name the “Father of Quantum Physics,” it would be Max Planck, but it was Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg who built house he started.
Today, quantum physics is the most successful theory in the history of science, powering everything from the silicon chips in your phone to the lasers at your grocery store scanner.