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Kinetic Theory of Gases. "On the Physical Properties of Gases. A Mathematical Inquiry into the Causes, Laws, and principal Phaenomena of heat, Gases, Gravitation, &c". This is a 3-part paper in "Annals of Philosophy; or, Magazine of Chemistry, Mineralogy, Mechanics, Natural History by Thomas Thomson"., Vol. I. (New Series), 1821; viii, ,479 pp., with 7 engraved plates. Herapath's papers: appear on pp. 273-293, 340-351, and then 401-416. Offered in the whole volume of 469pp, with eight engraved plates; bound in half calf, and with an antique bookplate. Nice copy, in Very Good condition.+++ From the DSB: The main difference between Herapath s theory and that found in modern textbooks is that Herapath stressed the conservation of average momentum (mv) in collisions of particles. He assumed that the quantity of heat contained in a gas is proportional to the total momentum of all its particles, but as in Descartes s theory, this quantity is not added vectorially. He defined absolute or true temperature as the total momentum of a gas divided by the number of particles. Consequently he argued that when two gases or even two liquids at different temperatures are mixed, the temperature of the mixture must be calculated by averaging the true temperatures rather than those on the Fahrenheit or Celsius scale. He used this prediction to propose a crucial experiment to distinguish between his theory and the conventional one: If equal portions of water at 32 °F. and 212°F. are mixed, the temperature of the mixture, according to Herapath s computation, should be 118.4°F., not Although the existing experimental data were not accurate Although the existing experimental data were not accurate enough to resolve this point, Herapath claimed that they confirmed his theory. "Having published a preliminary [5pp] notice of his [kinetic energy] theory in the Annals of Philosophy in 1816, Herapath submitted a detailed account to the Royal Society in 1820. Davy, who was elected to the presidency of the Society in November of that year, was primarily responsible for the fate of the paper. Although Davy was already known as an advocate of the qualitative idea that heat is molecular motion, he found Herapath s quantitative development too speculative and complicated; he rejected the hypothesis of an absolute temperature implying an "absolute zero" of cold. Having been told that his paper would not be accepted for publication in the Philosophical Transactions, Herapath withdrew it and published it instead in the Annals of Philosophy in 1821. Five years later he launched an attack on Davy in the Times of London, accusing him of circulating unfounded criticisms of his experimental work, which prevented its publication. Although Davy ignored a series of letters and challenges published in the Times, Herapath later claimed Davy s resignation from the presidency of the Royal Society (1827) as a victory for himself." +++Also in this volume: J.F.W. Herschel, "On the Action of Crystalliized Bodies on Homogeneous Light, and the Causes of the Deviation from Newton's Scale in the Tints which many of them develop on Exposure to a Polarized Ray". This appears in two parts, same volume, pp. 115-132, pp 161-180. Seller Inventory # ABE-1474252326538
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![Image Not Available](http://assets.prod.abebookscdn.com/cdn/uk/images/servlets/ListingDetails/no-image.gif ""On the Physical Properties of Gases. A Mathematical Inquiry into the Causes, Laws, and principal Phaenomena of heat, Gases, Gravitation, &...: John Herapath")
