Sir William Henry Bragg and his son, Sir William Lawrence Bragg, were influential figures in the field of X-ray crystallography. In 1915, they were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work, including the formulation of Bragg’s Law.
This law describes the relationship between the wavelength of X-rays and the angle at which they undergo constructive interference upon interaction with a crystal lattice, leading to the phenomenon known as Bragg diffraction.
The Braggs’ contributions revolutionized the study of crystal structures, allowing scientists to determine the arrangement of atoms within crystals.
William Lawrence Bragg’s early recognition as the youngest Nobel laureate at the time underscores the significance of their work, which laid the foundation for advancements in fields ranging from chemistry to biology, particularly in the elucidation of the structure of complex molecules like DNA.