Hi all,

Today we are celebrating National Science Day to mark the discovery of Raman effect by Indian physicist Sir C. V. Raman on 28 February 1928.

Celebration of National Science Day

National Science Day is celebrated in India every year on 28 February. The celebration also includes public speeches, radio, TV, science movies, science exhibitions based on themes and concepts, debates, quiz competitions, lectures, science model exhibitions and many more activities.

About Sir C. V. Raman:

• C. V. Raman was born in Trichinopoly, Madras Presidency (now Trichy, Tamil Nadu)
• In 1904, he obtained a B.A. degree from the University of Madras, where he stood first and won the GOLD medal in physics.
• At age 18, while still a graduate student, he published his first scientific paper on diffraction of light in the British journal Philosophical Magazine in 1906.
• In 1947, Sir Raman became Independent India’s first National Professor and founded the Raman Research Institute in 1948.

“I strongly believe that fundamental science cannot be driven by instructional, industrial and government or military pressures. This was the reason why I decided, as far as possible, not to accept money from the government.”

What is the Raman Effect?

The Raman effect is based on the concept of inelastic scattering of light. When a beam of light passes through a medium such as a gas, liquid, or solid, it interacts with the molecules in the medium. Most of the scattered light has the same energy and wavelength as the incident light, but a small fraction of the scattered light has a different energy and wavelength.

This change in energy and wavelength is caused by the interaction of light with the vibrational modes of the molecules in the medium. When the incident light interacts with the molecules, it transfers some of its energy to the molecules, causing them to vibrate. This vibration results in a shift in the energy and wavelength of the scattered light.

The Raman effect is particularly useful in identifying the molecular structure and composition of a substance. By analyzing the changes in the energy and wavelength of the scattered light, scientists can determine the types of molecules present in the medium and their relative concentrations. This technique is widely used in fields such as chemistry, biology, and materials science.

Awards

• Nobel Prize
  • Shri C. V. Raman won the Nobel Prize in 1930 for Physics
  • Shri C. V. Raman was the first Asian to won the Nobel Prize in any branch of Science
  • This is the first Nobel Prize in India in the field of Science.
  • For this phenomenal discovery every year we celebrate the National Science Day on 28th Feb. 
• Bharat Ratna – In 1954, the Government of India honored him with the first Bharat Ratna highest civilian award.
• Shri C. V. Raman founded the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926
• Raman Effect – In 1928 Raman and his student Krishnan discovered a novel phenomenon of light scattering, which they called “modified scattering” and also called “Raman Effect”
• In 1986, “National Council for Science and Technology Communication” requested Government of India to celebrate Feb 28 as National Science Day. Government of India accepted this request and on 28 Feb 1987 first National Science Day is celebrated.

You cant always choose who comes into your life but you can always learn what lesson they teach you

Happy Science Day!!

Have a Nice Day!!