Ryan Chambers ACT

​Albert Einstein

Many years ago in history, one of the many famous scientists, Albert Einstein, won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921 for his great explanation of the photoelectric effect. Albert Einstein received many outrageous awards in his lifetime for his accomplishments that will later be written down in history. Einstein was a german-born physicist who was widely regarded as one of the few greatest and one of the most influential physicists of all time. Although many might view him as an incredibly intelligent scientist, Einstein’s childhood tells a different story.

Albert Einstein, who was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany, was the first to be born to the Einstein family by his parents Hermann and Pauline Einstein.

As a child, Albert Einstein was considered an abnormally slow learner. He struggled to learn the simplest things a normal child can learn with ease, he had trouble with speaking and learning how to write in English. He was also ponderous physically, slow at answering, and was behind with his education. As a result, he failed school in Munich. At the age of 8, he was transferred to the Luitpold Gymnasium where he would later receive advanced primary and secondary school education.

Few years later, Einstein, who was 12 years old, taught himself algebra and euclidean geometry over a single summer from school. He also discovered and created his own original proof of the pythagorean theorem. He soon devoted himself to higher advanced education for years of school courses. In 1894, Albert’s Father, Hermann Einstein, who was a salesman, lost a bid to properly supply the city of Munich with electrical lighting because he lacked the capital to convert his equipment from the direct current standard to the more efficient alternating current standard. As a result, the Einsteins were forced to move so they decided to move to Italy. They settled in Palazzo Cornazzani which is a famous old medieval building.

Although the family moved to Italy, Albert Einstein, who was at the time 15 years old, decided to stay in Munich to finish his studies at the Luitpold Gymnasium which his father intended him to pursue electrical engineering. Albert Einstein later refused and skirmished with the authorities and soon resented the school’s regimen and teaching method. At the end of December 1894, he traveled to Italy to reunite with his family in Pavia. Albert Einstein later attended the Argovian cantonal school in Aarau, Switzerland, in 1895 and 1896 to complete his secondary schooling. After graduating in 1900, Einstein spent almost two years searching for a teaching post. He acquired Swiss citizenship in February 1901, but was not conscripted for medical reasons. With the help from many friends, he found a job in Bern at the Swiss Patent Office, as an assistant examiner. In 1903, his position at the Swiss Patent Office became permanent, although he was passed over for promotion until he fully mastered machine technology. By 1908, he was recognized as a leading scientist and was appointed lecturer at the University of Bern. The following year, after he gave a lecture on electrodynamics and the relativity principle at the University of Zurich, Alfred Kleiner recommended him to the faculty for a newly created professorship in theoretical physics. Einstein was appointed associate professor in 1909.

Einstein later became a full professor at the German Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague in April 1911, accepting Austrian citizenship in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to do so. During his Prague stay, he wrote 11 scientific works, five of them on radiation mathematics and on the quantum theory of solids. In the spring of 1913, Einstein was enticed to move to Berlin with an offer that included membership in the Prussian Academy of Sciences, and a linked University of Berlin professorship, enabling him to concentrate exclusively on research. On 3 July 1913, he became a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. He was officially elected to the academy on 24 July, and he moved to Berlin the following year. In 1920, he became a Foreign Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1921, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. 

Throughout his life,  Einstein published hundreds of books and articles. He published more than 300 scientific papers and 150 non-scientific ones. On 5 December 2014, universities and archives announced the release of Einstein's papers, comprising more than 30,000 unique documents.

Einstein's intellectual achievements and originality have made his name synonymous with the word "genius". In addition to the work he did by himself he also collaborated with other scientists on additional projects including the Bose–Einstein statistics, the Einstein refrigerator and others. Einstein continued to be world famous until his death at the age of 76 in April, 1955. Even after his death, his legacy continues to live on to this day.

Multiple Choice

What must be included in a brief summary of the passage?

• Albert Einstein was considered a slow learner at a young age.

• Albert Einstein was born in Germany, 1879.

• Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921.

• Albert Einstein wrote many books about science.

Multiple Choice

What is the theme of the passage?

• Hard work pays off.

• Overcoming obstacles can lead to great success.

• Helping others can have a positive effect.

• Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Multiple Choice

Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in?

• 1911

• 1922

• 1921

• 1934

Multiple Choice

How old was Albert when he departed from his family to finish his education?

• 15

• 21

• 13

• 16

Multiple Choice

What year did Albert Einstein graduated?

• 1919

• 1902

• 1893

• 1900

Multiple Choice

Albert Einstein's family were forced to move from Germany to Italy because?

• They lost a bid to properly supply the city of Munich.

• They were poor in the city of Munich.

• They did not like the city of Munich.

• A family member recommended them to move to Italy.

Multiple Choice

What is Palazzo Cornazzani?

• Albert Einstein's pet.

• An old medieval building.

• One of Albert Einstein's inventions.

• A friend that Albert Einstein likes.

Multiple Choice

Albert Einstein's death was in?

• 2000

• 1979

• 1956

• 1955

Multiple Choice

How old was Albert when he died?

• 108

• 73

• 76

• 93

Multiple Choice

What is the central Idea of the passage?

• Albert Einstein overcame his obstacles in life and achieved success.

• Albert was born in Germany a slow learner.

• Albert Einstein was an intelligent person.

• Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize award for his explanation for the photoelectric effect.