Roland, baron von Eötvös

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Roland, baron von Eötvös

Hungarian scientist

Also known as: Loránd, Báró Eötvös

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 • Article History

Category: Science & Tech

(German),:

Hungarian:: Loránd, Báró Eötvös

Born:: July 27, 1848, Pest, Hungary

Died:: April 8, 1919, Budapest (aged 70)

Notable Family Members:: father József, Báró Eötvös

Subjects Of Study:: Earth; gravitational field; inertial mass; molecule; surface tension

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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.

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