physics

Otto Schmitt

Otto Schmitt is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Otto Schmitt rather than just read about it. In short: Otto Herbert Schmitt (April 6, 1913 – January 6, 1998) was an American inventor, engineer, and biophysicist known for his scientific contributions to biophysics and for establishing the field of biomedical engineering. Schmitt also coined the term biomimetics and invented or co-invented the Schmitt trigger, the differential amplifier, and the chopper-stabilized amplifier.

Key takeaways

Otto Schmitt belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Otto Schmitt to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Otto Schmitt from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Otto Herbert Schmitt (April 6, 1913 – January 6, 1998) was an American inventor, engineer, and biophysicist known for his scientific contributions to biophysics and for establishing the field of biomedical engineering. Schmitt also coined the term biomimetics and invented or co-invented the Schmitt trigger, the differential amplifier, and the chopper-stabilized amplifier. He was elected in 1953 a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He was awarded the John Price Wetherill Medal in 1972.

References

“Biomimetic.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2013. Web. April 15, 2013. Geddes, Leslie A. "Personal Recollections Of Otto Schmitt. Otto Knew How To Get People's Attention." IEEE Engineering In Medicine And Biology Magazine: The Quarterly Magazine Of The Engineering In Medicine & Biology Society 23.6 (2004): 60-61. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. Harkness, Jon M. "In Appreciation A Lifetime Of Connections: Otto Herbert Schmitt, 1913-1998." Physics In Perspective 4.4 (2002): 456. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. Patterson, Robert. "The Contributions Of Otto H. Schmitt. More Than The Schmitt Trigger." IEEE Engineering In Medicine And Biology Magazine: The Quarterly Magazine Of The Engineering In Medicine & Biology Society 23.6 (2004): 19. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. Schmitt, Francis O. The Never-Ceasing Search. Vol. 188. Philadelphia: American Philosophilcal Society, 1990. Print. Memoirs. Valentinuzzi, Max E. "Otto Herbert Arnold Schmitt (1913-1998), A Pioneer. Overview Of His Scientific Production." IEEE Engineering In Medicine And Biology Magazine: The Quarterly Magazine Of The Engineering In Medicine & Biology Society 23.6 (2004): 42-46. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.

External links Biomimetic Charitable Foundation The Bakken Library and Museum, A Lifetime of Connections: Otto Herbert Schmitt, 1913-1998 Otto H. Schmitt Online Interpretive Center, maintained by the University of Minnesota. Otto H Schmitt at Find a Grave

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Otto Schmitt

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Otto Schmitt claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Otto Schmitt before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Otto Schmitt ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Otto Schmitt

In research: Otto Schmitt appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Otto Schmitt in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Otto Schmitt is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1913 births, 1998 deaths, 20th-century American engineers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Otto Schmitt outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Otto Schmitt in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Otto Schmitt means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Otto Schmitt out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Otto Schmitt in simple terms?

Why does Otto Schmitt matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Otto Schmitt?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Otto Schmitt.