Stern-Gerlach experiment: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Figure 1: Magnet in Stern-Gerlach experimentA beam of silver atoms is passed between the north (N) and south (S) poles of a magnet. The poles are shaped so that the magnetic field varies greatly in strength over a very small distance. The knife-edge of S results in a much stronger magnetic field at point P than at point Q.

See All Images →

Topics

space quantization

Key People

Stern, Otto

Otto Stern

American physicist

default image

Walther Gerlach

German physicist

Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.

Physics and Natural Law