Revision
Scientific Laws and Discoverers
A compact, tabular revision of major scientific laws and principles in physics, chemistry and biology, with the scientist who gave each, for CAPF Paper I General Science
CAPF wiki•2 min read•6 sections
At a glance
SubjectGeneral Science
RevisionGeneral SciencePhysicsLawsScientistsPaper 1
Cover the right columns and recall the scientist and the gist of each law. CAPF Paper I tests law-to-scientist matching and a one-line statement of the principle. These are standard textbook attributions. For inventions see discoveries and inventions.
| Law / principle |
Scientist |
Gist |
| Three laws of motion |
Isaac Newton |
Inertia; force equals mass times acceleration; action-reaction |
| Law of gravitation |
Isaac Newton |
Bodies attract with force proportional to mass, inverse-square of distance |
| Laws of planetary motion |
Johannes Kepler |
Elliptical orbits; equal areas in equal times |
| Archimedes' principle |
Archimedes |
Upthrust equals weight of fluid displaced |
| Law of the lever |
Archimedes |
Mechanical advantage of a lever |
| Law / principle |
Scientist |
Gist |
| Boyle's law |
Robert Boyle |
Pressure inversely proportional to volume at constant temperature |
| Charles's law |
Jacques Charles |
Volume proportional to temperature at constant pressure |
| Pascal's law |
Blaise Pascal |
Pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted equally |
| Bernoulli's principle |
Daniel Bernoulli |
Faster fluid flow means lower pressure |
| Avogadro's law |
Amedeo Avogadro |
Equal volumes of gases have equal numbers of molecules |
| Law / principle |
Scientist |
Gist |
| Ohm's law |
Georg Ohm |
Voltage equals current times resistance |
| Law of electromagnetic induction |
Michael Faraday |
Changing magnetic flux induces an EMF |
| Coulomb's law |
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb |
Force between charges varies inverse-square |
| Photoelectric effect |
Albert Einstein |
Light ejects electrons; quantum of light |
| Theory of relativity |
Albert Einstein |
Mass-energy equivalence; spacetime |
| Law / principle |
Scientist |
Gist |
| Conservation of mass |
Antoine Lavoisier |
Mass is conserved in a chemical reaction |
| Periodic law / table |
Dmitri Mendeleev |
Properties recur with atomic mass (now atomic number) |
| Law of natural selection |
Charles Darwin |
Survival of the fittest; evolution |
| Laws of heredity |
Gregor Mendel |
Dominance, segregation, independent assortment |
| Uncertainty principle |
Werner Heisenberg |
Position and momentum cannot both be known exactly |
| Fact |
Answer |
| Gave the laws of motion |
Isaac Newton |
| Gave the periodic table |
Dmitri Mendeleev |
| Explained the photoelectric effect |
Albert Einstein |
| Father of genetics |
Gregor Mendel |
| Principle behind hydraulic press |
Pascal's law |
| Principle behind aircraft lift |
Bernoulli's principle |
| Principle behind floating bodies |
Archimedes' principle |