What did Albert Einstein get the Nobel Prize in Physics for?
The 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics was for his explanation of the photoelectric effect, building on the work of Max Planck. He was also feted for “his services to Theoretical Physics.” The photoelectric effect, as I understand it, is when electrons on a given surface gain sufficient energy (through exposure to electromagnetic radiation that is far above the threshold frequency particular to that surface) to overcome their atomic bonding and actually break free from the surface.
