Salford Super Scientist
James Prescott Joule
Born, bred and brewed in Salford, Greater Manchester.
A Salford Scientist
James Prescott Joule was born into a wealthy Manchester brewing family. He initially was educated at home, before being tutored, at the age of sixteen, by the eminent Manchester scientist John Dalton.
Joule soon began to conduct independent research at a laboratory built in the cellar of his father's home.
Joules famous work
Joule was extremely involved with this work, and between 1837 and 1847, he established the principle of conservation of energy, and the equivalence of heat and other forms of energy. By 1840 he had established Joule's Law.
After working with Thomson from 1852-9, he described the Joule-Thomson effect, whereby an expanding gas is cooled as work is done to separate the molecules.
Joule the inventor
As is characteristic of many researchers, Joule's accomplishments were not limited to those things we today associate with the word "research". Much of what comes from experimental investigations results in practical devices and new technologies. In this respect one can note that James Joule was also an inventor. Amongst many of his inventions are "arc" or electrical welding, and the displacement pump.
James Prescott Joule's Life
1818 Born in Salford, Lancashire
1840 Joule??s Law
1843 Determined the amount of work required to produce a given amount of heat
1848 Paper on kinetic theory of gases
1889 Died in Sale, Cheshire
Submitted by: Iain Patterson, 11 March 2003
