Lord Kelvin's accomplishments
Lord Kelvin (aka William Thompson) had many accomplishments in math and science over the years. Here are some of them.
1845 Thompson Graduates
Peterhouse College in Cambridge
William Thompson graduated at Peterhouse College with the second wrangler (or the second highest score in his college exams)
ThermodynAMICS
Lord Kelvin created the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This law states that heat will not flow from a colder body to a hotter body. He first created this theory to explain how a steam engine works. Proving it was impossible to have a heat engine that is 100% efficient.
Telegraph CAble
In 1856 Kelvin became the director of the Atlantic Telegraph Company. He was trying to make a telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1857 Kelvin failed to accomplish the feat. He tried it again in 1858 but the cable lost signal quickly. After another failure in 1865, Kelvin finally was able to install the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. The cable stretched across most of the United States and England. Kelvin's telegraph cable was also used in different parts of the world and his cables were used until the 20th century. Technology eventually replaced Kelvin's cables.
mirror Galvanometer
The Mirror Galvanometer was a machine made to measure electric currents by moving a mirror. The light from the mirror was a long weightless, massless pointer. Lord Kelvin patented it in 1858. His version of this machine was more sensitive to currents than any of its predecessors.
THE KELVIN SCALE
The Kelvin Scale proves that atoms stop moving at absolute zero. This temperate scale was called the Kelvin Scale. Absolute zero equalled zero degrees kelvin.
SUPERCONDUCTORS
The Kelvin Scale and Thompson's definition of absolute zero was a major factor in the field of superconductivity. Superconductors are materials that are efficient at conducting electricity in super low temperatures. This was not discovered until after Kelvin's death.
MARINE Tools
Lord Kelvin invented and improved a few things to help improve navigation on the ocean and safety for seamen. Here are some of them.
1. Astronomical Clock
1. Astronomical Clock
- The astronomical clock has a few dials that tell the approximate location of the sun, planets and stars. Kelvin made his own version of the astronomical clock in 1869.
- In 1876, Thompson created a sounding machine which measured the depth of water beneath a ship. Thompson's model's were later on improved.
- The mariner's compass Kelvin made is the most accurate compass that exists.
Tetrakaidecahedron
A Tetrakaidecahedron is not just a floccinaucinihilipilification. It is a 14 sided figure that Lord Kelvin modeled to represent a 3 dimensional shape with the least surface area.
KNighthood
After his work on the transatlantic telegraph line he was knighted Sir William Thompson by Queen Victoria of England in 1866.
Geology
Thompson was a Christian, and he used his faith in his work. His greatest use of this was to disprove the original theory of the estimated age of earth. He proposed that Earth had once been to hot to support life and this contradicted uniformitarianism, which said that the earth's weather conditions had been the same since its creation.
Atoms
1860's- While researching with smoke rings, William suggested that atoms were shaped like vortices circling each other. His hypothesis was accepted for approximately ten years but later on disproved. His research was not a complete waste though. It helped the study of DNA and how it is twisted and coiled.
Kelvin's Writings
Lord Kelvin Published over 650 scientific papers throughout his life. His first one was published in 1841. Kelvin also published quite a few mathematical papers also. Other types of writing Thompson wrote were lectures and addresses. Visit this website for more information on Kelvin's writings.
http://zapatopi.net/kelvin/papers/
http://zapatopi.net/kelvin/papers/