Drude, Paul Karl Ludwig

Drude, Paul Karl Ludwig (poul kärl lt`vĭkh dr`də), 1863–1906, German physicist. Drude first experimented with the physical determinants of optical constants, measuring the optical constants of a variety of substances to an unprecedented degree of accuracy. He worked on the relations among optical constants, electrical constants, and the physical structure of substances, gradually shifting from a mechanical to an electromagnetic viewpoint. From age 26 to his death he edited the journal Annalen der Physik.