CLAUSIUS, R. (RUDOLF) - KINETIC THEORY OF GASES.

Ueber die Wärmeleitung gasförmiger Körper.

Leipzig, Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1862. Without wrappers as issued in "Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Hrsg. von J.C. Poggendorff", 115. Bd., 1. issue ("Heft" No 1, 1862). Titlepage to vol. 115. Pp. 1-176 a. 1 folded engraved plate. (The entire issue offereed ("Heft" 1)). Clausius' paper: pp. 1-56. Some brownspots to right marginon some leaves.

First printing of this importent paper, the seciond of C's papers in the working out of the Kinetic Theory of Gases. In the paper he states that he found an error in Maxwell's theory of gases, an error Maxwell was to admit as far more serious.

"In his initial approach to the conduction of heat in gases, Maxwell drew a brilliant analogy between diffusion (a transfer of mass) and conduction (a transfer of kinetic energy), thereby making it possible to use the form of his diffusion equation to represent conduction, simply replacing the mass of a molecule with its kinetic energy. Clausius critized this adoption of the diffusion equation, because, given the assumptions, mass transfer would accompany the heat conduction and the process would not be one of energy transfer alone. He then offered a revised theory of conduction. "(DSB III, p. 308).

"Clausius was one of the founders of the kinetic theory of gases and of the science of thermodynamics. He and Lord Kelvin at about the same time and independently announced the Second Law of thermodynamics. Clausius particularly developed the theory of thermodynamics by applying it to the study of gases and vapors."(Magie in "A Source Book in Physics", p. 228).

Order-nr.: 43530