Thermodynamics Collection

James Clerk Maxwell, Scottish physicist
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879), Scottish physicist. Maxwells works cover a wide area of science, and he is regarded as one of the finest minds of the 19th century

James Clark Maxwell with his demon
James Clark Maxwell and his demon, artwork. Maxwell (1831-1879) is best known for his laws of electromagnetism, which laid the foundations for modern physics

Josiah Willard Gibbs, US mathematician
Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903), US mathematician and theoretical physicist. Gibbs graduated from Yale University, USA in 1858 and gained a PhD on gear design in 1863

Three states of matter, ice, water, steam
States of matter. Illustration showing three states of matter for water; solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (steam). The state of matter (or phase)

Rumford's calorimeter, used to determine heat produced by combustion, 1887
3585530 Rumford's calorimeter, used to determine heat produced by combustion, 1887; (add.info.: Rumford's calorimeter, used to determine the amount of heat produced by combustion)

Sir Benjamin Thompson, 1800
3585528 Sir Benjamin Thompson, 1800; (add.info.: Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, FRS (1753 - 1814) American-born British physicist

James Prescott Joule, 1818 - 1889
3083228 James Prescott Joule, 1818 - 1889.; Private Collection; (add.info.: English physicist and brewer. From The Century Edition of Cassell's History of England, published c. 1900).

Sir Benjamin Thompson. 1800
3585529 Sir Benjamin Thompson. 1800; (add.info.: Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, FRS (1753 - 1814) American-born British physicist

Sir Benjamin Thompson, 1800
3585526 Sir Benjamin Thompson, 1800; (add.info.: Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, FRS (1753 - 1814) American-born British physicist

Lord William Thomson Kelvin, c. 1890 (litho)
KW417943 Lord William Thomson Kelvin, c.1890 (litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: illustration from Gladstone and his Contemporaries by Thomas Archer)

Demonstration of the Third Equilibrium, c. 1800 (pen & ink on paper)
ACD169652 Demonstration of the Third Equilibrium, c.1800 (pen & ink on paper) by Ampere, Andre Marie (1775-1836); Academie des Sciences, Paris

Benjamin Thompson (engraving)
815892 Benjamin Thompson (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (1753-1814)

William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, from Les Merveilles de la Science, published c
2619113 William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, from Les Merveilles de la Science, published c.1870 (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: William Thomson)

Professor Walther Nernst, c1928. Creator: Unknown
Professor Walther Nernst, c1928. Portrait of German chemist Walther Nernst (1864-1941), winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, known for his work in thermodynamics, physical chemistry

Sir William Thomson, Irish physicist and engineer, c1870s (1883). From William Ewart Gladstone and His Contemporaries, Vol. III, 1852-1860, by Thomas Archer, F.R.H.S

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, Irish-Scottish mathematician, physicist and engineer, 1877. Kelvin (1824-1907) was a leader in the physical sciences of the 19th century

Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), Irish-born Scottish mathematician and physicist, 1926. Born William Thomson, Lord Kelvin was a pioneer of thermodynamics and electromagnetic theory

Lord Kelvin, Irish-Scottish mathematical physicist and engineer, (c1924). Kelvin (1824-1907) was a leader in the physical sciences of the 19th century

Lord Kelvin, Scottish mathematician and physicist, 1876. Born William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) was educated at Glasgow and Cambridge

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin in 1869 (c1890). Kelvin (1824-1907) Irish-born Scottish mathematician and physicist

Lord Kelvin, Scottish physicist and mathematician, 1897. Artist: Spy
Lord Kelvin, Scottish physicist and mathematician, 1897. Born William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) was educated at Glasgow and Cambridge

Lord Kelvin, Irish-born Scottish mathematician and physicist, c1900. Born William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) was educated at Glasgow and Cambridge

Pierre Dulong, French chemist
Pierre Louis Dulong (1785-1838) French chemist. Originally a physician, Dulong moved into chemistry as the assistant to Berthollet

Wilhelm Ostwald, German physical chemist C016 / 8861
Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1933), German physical chemist. Ostwald is considered one of the founders of modern physical chemistry. He was instrumental in identifying the proper action of catalysts

Sir William Thomson - British scientist
Sir William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin of Largs (1824-1907), British mathematical physicist and engineer. Date: circa 1890s

2662519; out of copyright

FAHRENHEIT EXPERIMENT. A page from Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheits Experimenta circa
FAHRENHEIT EXPERIMENT. A page from Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheits " Experimenta circa Gradum Caloris" (" Experiments concerning the Degrees of Heat" )

ALBERT EINSTEIN: PAGE. The beginning of Albert Einsteins great paper on the application of relativity to optics and thermodynamics, Zur Electrodynamik bewegter Korper in Annalen der Physik, Leipzig

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) Scottish physicist and mathematician. Second law of thermodynamics: Temperature scale: Atlantic telegraph cable: Mirror galvanometer

James Prescott Joule (1818-1889) English physicist. Mechanical equivalent of heat (J). Engraving from The Graphic, London, 1889

James Prescott Joule (1818-1889) English physicist. Mechanical equivalent of heat (J). Engraving 1876

James Prescott Joules (1818-89) apparatus for determining mechanical equivalent of heat. Vessel of water, oil or mercury encloses vanes attached to spindle. Cord wound round cylinder and drum

Chain Reaction, computer artwork. C016 / 9204
Chain reaction, artist concept illustration. A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place

Joseph Black and latent heat
Joseph Black giving a practical demonstration of latent heat to students of Glasgow University in the 1760s. The Scottish chemist and physicist found that as ice is heated

Tyndall ice thermometer C016 / 3663
Ice thermometer. View of a type of thermometer used by physicist John Tyndall (1820-93) to measure the temperature of glacier ice

Tyndall ice thermometer C016 / 3662
Ice thermometer. View of a type of thermometer used by physicist John Tyndall (1820-93) to measure the temperature of glacier ice

Boyles law of gases, artwork
Boyles law of gases. Computer artwork explaining the gas laws as described by the combined gas law equation: PV=kT, which shows the relationship between the pressure (P), volume (V)

Combined gas law, artwork C013 / 4731
Combined gas law. Computer artwork explaining the gas laws as described by the combined gas law equation: PV=kT, which shows the relationship between the pressure (P), volume (V)

Pressure-temperature gas law, artwork C013 / 4730
Pressure-temperature gas law. Computer artwork explaining the gas laws as described by the combined gas law equation: PV=kT, which shows the relationship between the pressure (P), volume (V)

Pressure-temperature gas law, artwork C013 / 4729
Pressure-temperature gas law. Computer artwork explaining the gas laws as described by the combined gas law equation: PV=kT, which shows the relationship between the pressure (P), volume (V)

Equipment for measuring gas properties. This apparatus is used to determine the temperature, volume and pressure of gases and gas mixtures

Solar parabolic mirrors, Cologne, Germany
Solar parabolic mirrors at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cologne, Germany. These mirrors at DLR are part of Germanys largest research group on solar concentrating technologies

Hermann Helmholtz, German physicist
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821- 1894), German physiologist and physicist. Helmholtz studied medicine and graduated in 1842 at the Royal Medicochirurgical Institute of Berlin

Rumfords thermodynamics experiment. Count Rumford (1753-1814, centre), born Benjamin Thompson, was an Anglo-American physicist and reformer

James Joule, British physicist
James Joule (1818-1889), British physicist, measuring the heating in wires resulting from the passage of an electric current

James Prescott Joule, British physicist
James Prescott Joule (1818-1889), British physicist. Joule showed that different forms of energy are interchangeable, and that energy cannot be created or destroyed

Count Rumford, English-American physicist
Count Rumford (1753-1814), born Benjamin Thompson, English-American physicist and reformer. Born in Massachusetts, he joined the army at 18, acting as a secret agent for the British

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Thermodynamics, a fascinating branch of physics, owes its foundations to the brilliant minds of James Clerk Maxwell and Josiah Willard Gibbs. Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell is renowned for his groundbreaking work in electromagnetism, but he also made significant contributions to thermodynamics. One of his notable concepts was the "Maxwell's demon, " which challenged the second law of thermodynamics. Speaking of demons, let's not forget about Lord Kelvin and his compass. This Scottish mathematician and physicist played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of thermodynamics. In 1902, artist James Craig Annan captured Lord Kelvin with his trusty compass in an exquisite portrait. When discussing thermodynamics, we cannot overlook the three states of matter: ice, water, and steam. These states exemplify how energy can transform from one form to another while obeying fundamental laws like conservation. Another prominent figure in this field is William Thomson (also known as Lord Kelvin). His oil painting from 1886 showcases him as a distinguished scientist who made substantial contributions to many scientific disciplines. The concept of equilibrium is vital in thermodynamics. A captivating pen & ink drawing titled "Demonstration of the Third Equilibrium" depicts an experiment conducted around 1800 that explored this principle further. Benjamin Thompson deserves recognition too; he was an engraver whose work contributed significantly to early understandings of heat transfer and thermal conductivity. Fast forward to Professor Walther Nernst in 1928 – although unknown creator – Nernst developed important theories related to chemical reactions under specific temperature conditions called absolute zero or zero entropy. Lastly, Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) graces us again with a lithograph from around 1890. This Irish physicist and engineer left an indelible mark on thermodynamic theory during the late nineteenth century.