Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Roland, baron von Eötvös
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell.
Faces of Science
Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.
Physics and Natural Law
Related Questions
Read Next
Earth from space. Full-hemisphere views of the Earth showing Hurricane Linda at its peak approaching Baja California on 1997 September 11.
What Is Earth’s Velocity?
Highway Night Traffic Portland, drive, driving, car, automobile.
What's the Difference Between Speed and Velocity?
Solar system illustration. (planets; sun)
Why Are Planets Round?
Illustration of molecules. (molecular, chemistry, science)
Why Is a Group of Molecules Called a Mole?
Remarkable new details of Pluto's largest moon Charon are revealed in this image from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), taken late on July 13, 2015 from a distance of 289,000 miles
Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet?
Discover
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)

Roland, baron von Eötvös

Hungarian scientist
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Loránd, Báró Eötvös
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Quick Facts
(German),:
Hungarian:
Loránd, Báró Eötvös
Born:
July 27, 1848, Pest, Hungary
Died:
April 8, 1919, Budapest
Also Known As:
Loránd, Báró Eötvös
Notable Family Members:
father József, Báró Eötvös
Subjects Of Study:
Earth
gravitational field
gravitational mass
inertial mass
molecule
surface tension
See all related content

Roland, baron von Eötvös (born July 27, 1848, Pest, Hungary—died April 8, 1919, Budapest) was a Hungarian physicist who introduced the concept of molecular surface tension. His study of the Earth’s gravitational field—which led to his development of the Eötvös torsion balance, long unsurpassed in precision—resulted in proof that inertial mass and gravitational mass are equivalent, later a major principle of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Eötvös, the son of Baron József Eötvös, was minister of public instruction in the cabinet of Sandor Wekerle, resigning in 1895 to devote himself to teaching physics at the University of Budapest.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.