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Sketching the History of Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics (from about 1575 to 1980)

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:19.
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URL: 

http://history.hyperjeff.net/statmech.html

Author: 
Jeff Biggus
Excerpt: 

1729: Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), extending Johann Bernoulli's work on Descartes' vortex cosmology, models air with tightly-spaced, spinning spheres. He formulate an equation of state relating humidity, pressure, density and velocity, finding the Townley-Power-Boyle law as an approximation. He calculates air molecules to be about 477 m/s at mean conditions, and that this is about the speed of sound.

Annotation: 

This is a timeline of the history of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics

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