Inventions and Scientists — TNPSC Group 4 Science Notes
TNPSC Group 4 Science notes on Inventions and Scientists: key world and Indian scientists, important inventions, Nobel Prize winners, and science history MCQs.
Updated 28 May 20267 min read
Overview
Questions on inventors, scientists, and their discoveries are regularly asked in TNPSC Group 4. This topic rewards direct memorisation — learn the scientist, their nationality, and what they are most famous for. Focus especially on Indian scientists and Nobel Prize winners.
World Famous Scientists and Their Contributions
Physics
Scientist
Country
Key Contribution
Isaac Newton
UK (English)
Laws of Motion, Law of Universal Gravitation, Calculus
Albert Einstein
Germany/USA
Theory of Relativity (E = mc²), Photoelectric Effect
Michael Faraday
UK
Electromagnetic Induction, Laws of Electrolysis
James Clerk Maxwell
UK
Electromagnetic Theory
Nikola Tesla
Serbia/USA
AC electricity, Tesla coil, radio
Wilhelm Röntgen
Germany
Discovery of X-rays (Nobel 1901 — first ever Nobel in Physics)
Ernest Rutherford
New Zealand/UK
Nuclear model of atom, discovered proton
Niels Bohr
Denmark
Atomic model with electron shells
James Watt
UK
Improved steam engine (unit of power named after him)
Galileo Galilei
Italy
Telescope, Laws of Falling Bodies, heliocentric support
Marie Curie
Poland/France
Radioactivity, discovered Polonium and Radium; only person to win Nobel in two sciences
Chemistry
Scientist
Country
Key Contribution
Antoine Lavoisier
France
Father of Modern Chemistry; named Oxygen and Hydrogen
John Dalton
UK
Atomic Theory
Dmitri Mendeleev
Russia
Periodic Table of Elements
Marie Curie
Poland/France
Radioactivity research
Alfred Nobel
Sweden
Invented dynamite; established Nobel Prizes
Linus Pauling
USA
Chemical bond theory; Nobel Chemistry + Peace
Biology and Medicine
Scientist
Country
Key Contribution
Charles Darwin
UK
Theory of Evolution (Natural Selection)
Gregor Mendel
Austria
Father of Genetics — Laws of Heredity
Louis Pasteur
France
Germ theory, pasteurisation, rabies vaccine
Alexander Fleming
UK
Discovery of Penicillin (1928) — first antibiotic
Edward Jenner
UK
First vaccine — Smallpox vaccine (1796)
Robert Koch
Germany
Identified bacteria causing TB and Cholera
James Watson & Francis Crick
USA/UK
Double helix structure of DNA (1953)
Karl Landsteiner
Austria
Discovered ABO blood group system
Important Inventions and Inventors
Invention
Inventor
Year
Country
Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg
~1440
Germany
Steam Engine
James Watt (improved)
1769
UK
Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell
1876
USA
Electric Bulb
Thomas Edison
1879
USA
Radio
Guglielmo Marconi
1895
Italy
Television
John Logie Baird
1926
UK
Aeroplane
Wright Brothers (Orville & Wilbur)
1903
USA
Automobile
Karl Benz
1885
Germany
X-ray
Wilhelm Röntgen
1895
Germany
Penicillin
Alexander Fleming
1928
UK
Computer
Charles Babbage (Analytical Engine)
1837
UK
WWW (Internet)
Tim Berners-Lee
1989
UK/CERN
Vaccination
Edward Jenner
1796
UK
Dynamite
Alfred Nobel
1867
Sweden
Thermometer
Gabriel Fahrenheit
1714
Germany
Battery
Alessandro Volta
1800
Italy
Radar
Robert Watson-Watt
1935
UK
Laser
Theodore Maiman
1960
USA
Stethoscope
René Laennec
1816
France
Indian Scientists and Their Contributions
Scientist
Field
Key Contribution
C.V. Raman
Physics
Raman Effect — Nobel Prize 1930; first Asian Nobel in science
Homi J. Bhabha
Nuclear Physics
Father of India's Nuclear Programme; established TIFR and BARC
Vikram Sarabhai
Space Science
Father of Indian Space Programme; founded ISRO; established Thumba rocket station
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Aerospace/Missiles
Missile Man of India; developed Agni, Prithvi missiles; PSLV; 11th President of India
Jagadish Chandra Bose
Biology/Physics
Proved plants have life responses; invented crescograph; pioneer of radio waves (predated Marconi)
Srinivasa Ramanujan
Mathematics
Self-taught genius; contributions to number theory, infinite series, mathematical analysis
Satyendranath Bose
Physics
Bose-Einstein Statistics; Boson particles named after him
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Astrophysics
Chandrasekhar limit — mass limit for white dwarf stars; Nobel Prize 1983
Har Gobind Khorana
Biochemistry
Genetic code research; Nobel Prize 1968
Amartya Sen
Economics
Nobel Prize 1998 — welfare economics, development as freedom
Yellapragada SubbaRow
Biochemistry
Discovered role of ATP; developed drugs for malaria, filariasis
M.S. Swaminathan
Agriculture
Father of Green Revolution in India
Nobel Prize in Sciences — India Connection
Scientist
Prize
Year
Contribution
C.V. Raman
Physics
1930
Raman Effect
Har Gobind Khorana
Medicine
1968
Genetic code (Indian-American)
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Physics
1983
Chandrasekhar limit (Indian-American)
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
Chemistry
2009
Structure of ribosome (Indian-British)
TNPSC Tip: C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize on 28 February — this date is celebrated as National Science Day in India.
Scientific Units Named After Scientists
Unit
Named After
Measures
Newton (N)
Isaac Newton
Force
Joule (J)
James Prescott Joule
Energy
Watt (W)
James Watt
Power
Ampere (A)
André-Marie Ampère
Electric current
Volt (V)
Alessandro Volta
Electric potential
Ohm (Ω)
Georg Ohm
Electrical resistance
Kelvin (K)
Lord Kelvin
Temperature
Hertz (Hz)
Heinrich Hertz
Frequency
Pascal (Pa)
Blaise Pascal
Pressure
Tesla (T)
Nikola Tesla
Magnetic flux density
Curie (Ci)
Marie Curie
Radioactivity
Important Science Days
Day
Date
Significance
National Science Day
28 February
Raman Effect discovery (1928)
World Science Day
10 November
UNESCO — peace and development
National Technology Day
11 May
India's Pokhran nuclear test (1998)
World Environment Day
5 June
UN — environmental awareness
Earth Day
22 April
Global environmental movement
Previous Year TNPSC Questions (Pattern)
1. Q: C.V. Raman won Nobel Prize for → Raman Effect (inelastic scattering of light) 2. Q: National Science Day is celebrated on → 28 February 3. Q: Father of Modern Chemistry → Antoine Lavoisier 4. Q: Who invented the telephone? → Alexander Graham Bell 5. Q: Penicillin was discovered by → Alexander Fleming 6. Q: Father of Indian Space Programme → Dr. Vikram Sarabhai 7. Q: Who is called the Missile Man of India? → A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 8. Q: Boson particle is named after → Satyendranath Bose
Frequently Asked Questions
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. He was a Scottish-American inventor. The telephone allowed voice communication over electrical wires for the first time.
