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Contributions to the Doppler Effect (1860)
Mach created a device that proved Christian Doppler’s theory that sound waves would have a higher frequency if the source was moving toward the observer and a lower frequency if the source was moving away from the observer. This phenomenon became known as the Doppler Effect. Reichenbach, H. “Contributions of Ernst Mach to Fluid Mechanics.” Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 15, Jan. 1983, pp. 1-29. Annual Reviews, doi.org/10.1146/annurev.fl.15.010183.000245. Accessed 18 Sep. 2019. -
Human Balance discovered in inner ear (1873)
In 1873, Mach constructed a swivel-chair that allowed him to test his theory that human balance is controlled when the brain receives a signal from the movement of a fluid in the inner ear. Hawkins, Joseph, and Jochen Schacht. “Sketches of Otohistory Part 8: The Emergence of Vestibular Science.” Audiology & Neurotology, vol. 10, no. 4, Jul-Aug 2005, pp. 185-190. KARGER, doi:10.1159/000085076 -
Mach Principle (1883)
Mach published The Science of Mechanics which told of his idea that absolute rotation is determined by the large-scale distribution of matter. The experiment influenced Einstein's theory of relativity and “Mach’s principle” was credited by Einstein in 1918. YouTube Mach, Ernst. The Science of Mechanics: A Critical and Historical Account of Its Development. Translated by Thomas McCormack, Chicago, The Open Court Publishing Company, 1919. -
Contributions to the Gestalt Theory (1886)
Mach’s work published in Contributions to the Analysis of Sensations introduced space forms and time forms. It shows that people recognize things like shapes and melodies as a whole, rather than a sum of its parts. This analysis of perception is one of the founding principles of Gestalt psychology. Mach, Ernst. Analysis of the Sensations. Translated by C. M. Williams, Chicago, The Open Court Publishing Company, 1897.
