born June 25, 1864, Briesen, Prussia
died Nov. 18, 1941, Muskau, Ger.
German scientist, one of the founders of modern physical chemistry .
He taught at the Universities of Göttingen and Berlin until forced to retire in 1933 by the Nazi regime. Nernst's researches on the theory of electric cells (see battery ), the thermodynamics of chemical equilibrium , the properties of vapours at high temperatures and of solids at low temperatures, and the mechanism of photochemistry have had important applications. His formulation of the third law of thermodynamics gained him a 1920 Nobel Prize. He also invented an improved electric light and an electronically amplified piano.