Gustav Robert Kirchhoff ( 12 March 1824 -- 17 October 1887 ) was a German physicist who contributed to the fundamental understanding of electrical circuits , spectroscopy , and the emission of black-body radiation by heated objects .
Gustav Robert Kirchhoff ( 12 March 1824 -- 17 October 1887 ) was a German physicist who contributed to the fundamental understanding of electrical circuits , spectroscopy , and radiation by heated objects .