Paper, 'On the dependence of radiation on temperature' by [Charles] William Siemens

Description

Siemens writes: 'Sir Isaac Newton held that the radiation of heat from a hot body, increased in arithmetical ratio with the difference of temperature between it and the surrounding bodies. This law forms a rough approximation to the truth over a very limited range of temperature. MM. Dulong and Petit carried out an elaborate experimental research on the rate of cooling of hot bodies by radiation, extending to somewhat higher temperatures, and deduced from their observations the empirical formula: Rate of cooling = m (l·0077)‘(l·0077T-t -l). Here T is the temperature of the hot body in degrees Centigrade, t the temperature of the surrounding matter, and m is a constant depending on the nature of the radiating body. This formula agrees very fairly with experimental results for ordinary temperatures, but like Newton’s law, it has been shown that it cannot be applied for a wider range.'

Annotations in pencil and ink. Includes two diagrams of experimental apparatus and results.

Subject: Physics

Received 25 April 1883. Read 26 April 1883.

A version of this paper was published in volume 35 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the dependence of radiation on temperature'.

Reference number

PP/3/17

Earliest possible date

1883

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

26 pages

Format

Manuscript
Diagram