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Robert W. Field

Robert W. Field 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 Robert W. Field rather than just read about it. In short: For the painter, see Robert Field (painter) Robert W. Field (born June 13, 1944) is the Haslam and Dewey Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has been a professor since 1974.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

For the painter, see Robert Field (painter) Robert W. Field (born June 13, 1944) is the Haslam and Dewey Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has been a professor since 1974. His AB degree is in chemistry from Amherst College, and his PhD is in chemistry from Harvard University, where he worked with Bill Klemperer. He was a postdoc with Herbert Broida at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Spectroscopy He is a physical chemist, specializing in spectroscopy of small molecules in the gas phase. He performed the first microwave-optical and optical-optical double resonance experiments on small molecules, and invented the Stimulated Emission Pumping (SEP, or "PUMP and DUMP") spectroscopic method. He is also particularly known for studies of the molecules acetylene (C2H2) and calcium fluoride (CaF) in the gas phase. His active research group at MIT includes about eight graduate students and postdocs working on experimental, theoretical and computational physical chemistry of small molecules in the gas phase.

Awards He is the recipient of the Broida Prize (1980), the Plyler Prize (1988), the Lippincott Award (1990), the Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science (2009), the E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy (2012), and the Nobel Laureate Signature Award. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences.

References

Further reading Hélène Lefebvre-Brion; Robert W. Field (1986). Perturbations in the spectra of diatomic molecules. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-442690-0.

External links https://chemistry.mit.edu/profile/robert-w-field/

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Robert W. Field

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Robert W. Field 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 Robert W. Field 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 Robert W. Field 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 Robert W. Field

In research
Robert W. Field 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 Robert W. Field 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
Robert W. Field is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1944 births, American computational chemists, American physical chemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Robert W. Field 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 Robert W. Field in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Robert W. Field in simple terms?

For the painter, see Robert Field (painter) Robert W. Field (born June 13, 1944) is the Haslam and Dewey Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has been a professor since 1974.

Why does Robert W. Field 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 Robert W. Field?

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 Robert W. Field.

Tags

  • 1944 births
  • American computational chemists
  • American physical chemists
  • American spectroscopists
  • Amherst College alumni
  • Fellows of the American Physical Society
  • Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
  • Living people
  • MIT School of Science faculty
  • University of California, Santa Barbara alumni

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