Max Planck (physicist)

Max Planck was a German physicist who is considered the founder of quantum theory. He proposed that energy is not continuous but made up of tiny, discrete units called quanta. This idea, introduced in 1900, helped explain blackbody radiation and led to a deeper understanding of atomic and subatomic processes. His work revolutionized physics by showing that energy levels are quantized, laying the groundwork for modern quantum mechanics. Planck's contributions earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918, and his theories continue to underpin much of contemporary physics.