Francis Weston Sears | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 1, 1898 |
| Died | November 12, 1975 (aged 77) |
| Citizenship | USA |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | University Physics Debye–Sears effect |
| Spouse | Mildred Cornwall |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics Acousto-optics Education |
| Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College |
Francis Weston Sears (October 1, 1898 – November 12, 1975) was an American physicist. He was a professor of physics at MIT for 35 years before moving to Dartmouth College in 1956.[1] At Dartmouth, Sears was the Appleton Professor of Physics.[2][3] He is best known for co-authoring University Physics, an introductory physics textbook, with Mark Zemansky. 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 in the discovery of what is now called the Debye–Sears effect, the diffraction of light by ultrasonic waves.[4][5]
Sears was a fellow of the Optical Society of America, and was active in the American Association of Physics Teachers, serving as its treasurer from 1950 to 1958, followed by successive one-year terms as president-elect and president.[6] He retired to Norwich, Vermont and died in Hanover, New Hampshire, of a stroke on November 12, 1975.[7][8][6]
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