A Wisdom Archive on Kinetic Theory of Gases

On his arrival in Russia he rapidly rose to distinction, and was made professor of chemistry in the University of St. Petersburg, where he ultimately became rector. Eager to improve Russian education, Lomonosov was engaged in founding the Moscow State University (later named after him) in 1755. In 1764 Lomonosov was appointed to the position of a secretary of state. As a scientist Lomonosov rejected the phlogiston theory of matter commonly accepted at the time, and anticipated the kinetic theory of gases. He regarded heat as a form of ...

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Polanyi's scientific interests were diverse, embracing chemical kinetics, x-ray diffraction and the absorption of gases at solid surfaces. In 1934, Polanyi, roughly contemporarily with G. I. Taylor and Egon Orowan realised that the plastic deformation of ductile materials could be explained in terms of the theory of dislocations developed by Vito Volterra in 1905. The insight was critical in developing the modern science of solid mechanics. ...

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Nebular Theory A theory of the origin of the solar system of Laplace, Herschel, and others, much in favor during the earlier part of the 19th century, but since fallen into disfavor. The hypothesis was devised to explain certain facts, especially that the planets all revolve in the same direction, that their satellites (except those of Uranus and Neptune) revolve around their primaries in this same direction, and that the planets so far as we know rotate in this same direction. The theory assumes the sun to have started as a very diffused, tenuous gas or nebula, extending much farther than its present volume.
 
The combined influence of gravitation and of contraction by cooling resulted, in accordance with dynamic laws, in the separation of parts of the mass into rings, and these rings afterwards coalesced severally into planets; and their motions of revolution and rotation are thus according to this theory explained.
 
Better knowledge of the dynamic principles concerned has discredited the theory in its details; it conflicts particularly with the principle of the conservation of the moment of inertia and with the kinetic theory of gases. Moreover, the solar system is now seen to be more complex than had been supposed, the planetoids for instance having very eccentric motions.
 
In The Secret Doctrine Blavatsky credits the theory''s authors with a great intuitional perception of certain cosmogonical facts, and to a certain extent approves the theory in its broad outline but not in its details. Any theory which attempts to explain the universe on purely mechanical principles can be no more than one of a number of possible systems of graphic representation. The attempt to abstract the physical universe from the universe in general, while useful for special practical purposes, does not conduct us to the truth; and this is preeminently the case with such a subject as the origin of the solar system and the motions of its parts. Yet the nebular hypothesis in certain of its main elements is in accord with theosophic teachings, insofar, for instance, as it glimpses the gradual condensation of matter from a tenuous condition, in its segregation around centers, and in the essentially circular character of motion.
 
In the theosophic view, not only the galaxy itself is alive -- an animate organism -- but likewise each and every solar system comprised in it is likewise alive and therefore an organism. The term alive comprises mind or intelligence and spirit. Thus not only is the sun alive, because it is the body of a divinity, but likewise every one of the planets (excepting the moons) in the solar system is likewise an individual living entity, of which only the grossest or physical globe is apparent to our vision. The solar system, therefore, is a composite unit, formed of component individuals.
 
The nebular hypothesis was mainly rejected by the Masters and Blavatsky because of its typical materialistic and mechanical character. It is a fact that the solar system was originally formed from a vast nebula consolidating into the physical world from inner worlds -- astral matter becoming physical matter -- but guided by innate mind and life; and the various motions within the solar system arise from the innate vitality within it. Furthermore, although the planetary chains were originally born from this nebula, their respective life times are far shorter than that of the solar system itself, so that these planetary chains have their many reimbodiments during the life period of the solar system. Comets, if they survive, are usually destined to become planetary bodies in the solar system in their turn, running their life period, and then dying, to reappear as comets again after long ages of rest in inner worlds.

 
(See also: Nebular Theory, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary )

A gas is one of the four main phases of matter (after solid and liquid, and followed by plasma), that subsequently appear as a solid material is subjected to increasingly higher temperatures. Thus, as energy in the form of heat is added, a solid (e.g. ice) will first melt to become a liquid (e.g. water), which will then boil or evaporate to become a gas (e.g. water vapor). In some circumstances, a solid (e.g. "dry ice") can directly turn into a gas: this is called sublimation. If the gas is further heated, its atoms or molecules can become (wholly or partiall ... Including:

• Gas - Etymology

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A state of absolute zero was first proposed by Guillaume Amontons in 1702. Amontons was investigating the relationship between pressure and temperature in gases though he lacked accurate and precise thermometers. Though his results were at best semi-quantitative, he established that the pressure of a gas increases by roughly one-third between the temperatures of "cold" and the boiling point of water. His work led him to speculate that a sufficient reduction in temperature wou ...

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Avogadro's law is one of the gas laws. The law is named after Amedeo Avogadro, who in 1811 hypothesized that equal volumes of gases, at the same temperature and pressure, contain the same number of particles, or molecules. Thus, the number of molecules in a specific volume of gas is independent of the size or mass of the gas molecules.(See: this site for an English translation of his 1811 paper). The minor aspect of the law can be stated mathematically as: . -where: V is the volume of the gas. n is the number of mole ...

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In physics, atomic theory is a theory of the nature of matter. It states that all matter is composed of atoms. The philosophical background of the atomic theory is called atomism. The theory applies to the common phases of matter, namely solids, liquids and gasses, as directly experienced on Earth. Strictly speaking, it is not the approriate theory for plasmas or neutron stars where unusual environments such as extremes of temperature or density prevent atoms from forming. Atomic theory - Importance. Arguab ... Including:

• Atomic theory - Importance
• Atomic theory - History
• Atomic theory - Related lists

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List of publications in physics - The Collected Works of Irving Langmuir 1961. Irving Langmuir Vol.3: Thermonic Phenomenon: papers from 1916-1937 Vol.4: Electrical Discharges: papers from 1923-1931 These two volumes from Nobel Prize winning scientist Irving Langmuir, include his early published papers resulting from his experiments with ionized gases (ie. plasma). The books summarise many of the basic properties if plasmas. Langmuir coined the wor ...

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The fundamental aspects of kinetic theory are given by several postulates: The gas consists of very small particles, each of which has a mass. These molecules are in constant, random motion. The rapidly moving particles constantly collide with each other and with the walls of the container. The collisions between gas molecules are elastic. The collisions of gas particles with the walls of the container holding them are perfectly elastic as well. The interactions between molecules are negligibl ...

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Rumford was an opponent of the caloric theory of heat which held that heat was a fluid that could be neither created nor detroyed. He had further developed the view that all gases and liquids were absolute non-conductors of heat. His views were out of step with the accepted science of the time and the latter theory had particularly been attacked by John Dalton[1] ...

Read more here: » An Experimental Enquiry Concerning the Source of the Heat which is Excited by Friction: Encyclopedia II - An Experimental Enquiry Concerning the Source of the Heat which is Excited by Friction - Background

The above equation tells us that the product of pressure and volume per mole is proportional to the average molecular kinetic energy. Further, the ideal gas equation tells us that this product is proportional to the absolute temperature. Putting the two together, we arrive at one important result of the kinetic theory: average molecular kinetic energy is proportional to the absolute temperature. The constant of proportionality is 3/2 times Boltzmann's constant, which is the ratio of the gas constant R to Avogadro's number (independent of the gas). This r ...

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