Francis Weston Sears (October 1, 1898 – November 12, 1975) was an American

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

. He was a professor of physics at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

for 35 years before moving to

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

in 1956. At Dartmouth, Sears was the Appleton Professor of Physics. He is best known for co-authoring ''

University Physics ''University Physics'' is the name of a two-volume physics textbook written by Hugh Young and Roger Freedman. The first edition of ''University Physics'' was published by Mark Zemansky and Francis Sears in 1949. Hugh Young became a coauthor with ...

'', an introductory physics textbook, with

Mark Zemansky Mark Waldo Zemansky (May 5, 1900 – December 29, 1981Bederson, Benjamin"The Physical Tourist: Physics and New York City" Phys. perspect. 5 (2003) 87–121 © Birkha¨ user Verlag, Basel, 2003. Cf. p.106 &c.) was an American physicist. He was a pr ...

. The book, first published in 1949, is often referred to as "''Sears and Zemansky''", although Hugh Young became a coauthor in 1973. In 1932 he collaborated with

Peter Debye Peter Joseph William Debye (; ; March 24, 1884 – November 2, 1966) was a Dutch-American physicist and physical chemist, and Nobel laureate in Chemistry. Biography Early life Born Petrus Josephus Wilhelmus Debije in Maastricht, Netherlands, D ...

in the discovery of what is now called the Debye–Sears effect, the diffraction of light by

ultrasonic Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies fr ...

waves. Sears was a fellow of the

Optical Society of America Optica (formerly known as The Optical Society (OSA) and before that as the Optical Society of America) is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals and organizes conference ...

, and was active in the

American Association of Physics Teachers The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was founded in 1930 for the purpose of "dissemination of knowledge of physics, particularly by way of teaching." There are more than 10,000 members in over 30 countries. AAPT publications includ ...

, serving as its treasurer from 1950 to 1958, followed by successive one-year terms as president-elect and president. He retired to

Norwich, Vermont Norwich is a town in Windsor County, in the U.S. state of Vermont. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census. Home to some of the state of Vermont's wealthiest residents, the municipality is a commuter town for nearby Hanover, New Hampshir ...

and died in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of En ...

, of a stroke on November 12, 1975.

Awards

* 1961 —

Oersted Medal The Oersted Medal recognizes notable contributions to the teaching of physics. Established in 1936, it is awarded by the American Association of Physics Teachers. The award is named for Hans Christian Ørsted. It is the Association's most prest ...

of the American Association of Physics Teachers

Books

* * Sears, Francis W. (1946). ''Electricity and Magnetism''. Reading, Massachusetts. Addison-Wesley * * 2nd edition, 1953 * Sears, Francis W. (1950). ''Mechanics, heat and sound''. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Addison Wesley. * *

References

1898 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American physicists American textbook writers American male non-fiction writers Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty Fellows of the Optical Society 20th-century American male writers Dartmouth College faculty Scientists from Massachusetts People from Plymouth, Massachusetts {{US-physicist-stub

Awards

Books

See also

References