Unit 4 - Chapter 10: Biography

Student View
Teacher View

Steven Chu
1948–

Steven Chu grew up in Garden City, New York. As a child he learned how to build things. First he built plastic model airplanes and ships. As Steven grew older, he learned about chemistry and experimented with homemade rockets.

Chu became a scientist after he graduated college. With the help of coworkers, he built a machine that slows down atoms by making them very, very cold. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 for his work. This is a very important award. It honors scientific and cultural achievements.

Today, Chu is a college professor. He encourages young scientists to use their knowledge to build things, just as he did as a young man.

Take a Closer Look

The Nobel Prize
There have been 776 Nobel Prize winners since the award was created in the year 1901. Find out more facts about this important award.

Atoms
Atoms are the building blocks of all matter. Find out more about atoms to understand why Steven Chu’s machine was so important.

Build Your Own Model
Steven Chu liked to build things as a child, such as plastic models and ships. Find out how you can build your own models.



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