Abbe Road

A blog dedicated to the extraordinary German Physicist, Ernst Karl Abbe.

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[source: http://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en_de/history/founders/ernst-abbe.html]

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[source: http://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en_de/history/founders/ernst-abbe.html]

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[source: http://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en_de/history/founders/ernst-abbe.html]

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[source: http://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en_de/history/founders/ernst-abbe.html]

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[source: http://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en_de/history/founders/ernst-abbe.html]

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How did Ernst Abbe's contributions improved our way of life?

In a simple person’s point of view, it’s not easy to determine if Abbe’s contributions made our lives improved and made our lives easier. But in a student of science’s perspective, or anyone who’s linked to science, his simple improvement of the microscope objectives was really a huge deal.

Since Ernst Abbe is famous for his work with the Microscope, it’s easy to say that his contribution improved our lives in such way, specifically when using the optical instrument in scientific experiments.

As a student, what he did was very helpful, especially during lab experiments and if there are apochromatic lenses used in our labs today, here in the Philippines or in my school, it would be a great privilege to have them and it would be so useful for our work and future endeavors in the scientific field.

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The improvement of the microscope by Ernst Abbe really made me, as a student of Physics, amazed and overwhelmed with how helpful it was for our generation of future people of science.

Studies show, Apochromat objectives were the most precise and highest performance microscope lenses ever built. [micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/abbe.html]

I also learned that the lenses Abbe invented were designed to have excellent resolution at an economical price point. Not only it is helpful in a scientific way but it also gives good value to your pockets.

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The biggest contribution of Ernst Abbe to the field of Physics was his invention of the Apochromatic Lens system for microscope which led to excellent improvements in Microscope design.

In 1866, a German Industrialist named, Carl Zeiss, aimed to have the manufacture of optical instruments a sound mathematical and scientific basis not wanting to depend on the process of trial and error. So Zeiss hired Abbe as the research director of the optical Zeiss worked in.

In 1868, Abbe came up of the Apochromatic Lens system, which eradicates both the primary and the secondary color distortion of light.

These lenses were the first ever to have been generated based on optical theory and the laws of physics. [micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/abbe.html]

In result, Zeiss named Abbe his partner in 1876 and made him as his successor. Abbe became the head of the Zeiss company after Zeiss’ death in 1888.

[source: www.britannica.com/biography/Ernst-Abbe]

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Who is Ernst Abbe?

 Ernst Karl Abbe is a German physicist and mathematician, who famously contributed to the improvement of he lenses of the microscope know and use   today. He was also an entrepreneur, an inventor and  a social reformer.

Abbe came from an impoverish family, with his father working 16 hours a day just so that he could provide for his wife and his children. Abbe worked his way through school by applying for scholarships and with the help of his father’s employer. (http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/abbe.html)

By 1863, Abbe became part of the University of Jena and later on became a professor, teaching Physics and Mathematics in 1870. In 1878, he became the director of Astronomical and Meteorological Observatories. (http://www.britannica.com/biography/Ernst-Abbe)

Erst Abbe made a lot of discoveries and had a lo of success during his life time. All of these, unfortunately, ended on the 14th of January in the year 1905. At the age of 64, Abbe passed away in Jena.