| RefNo | PP/18/4 |
| Previous numbers | PP/50/4 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Paper, 'On some test cases for the Maxwell-Boltzmann doctrine regarding distribution of energy' by William Thomson |
| Date | 1891 |
| Description | Thomson writes: 'Maxwell, in his article (‘Phil. Mag.,’ 1860) “On the Collision of Elastic Spheres,” enunciates a very remarkable theorem, of primary importance in the kinetic theory of gases, to the effect that, in an assemblage of large numbers of mutually colliding spheres of two or of several different magnitudes, the mean kinetic energy is the same for equal numbers of the spheres irrespectively of their masses and diameters; or, in other words, the time averages of the squares of the velocities of individual spheres are inversely as their masses.'
Annotations in pencil.
Subject: Physics
Received and read 11 June 1891.
A version of this paper was published in volume 50 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On some test cases for the Maxwell-Boltzmann doctrine regarding distribution of energy'. |
| Extent | 54p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Graphite pencil on paper |
| Digital images | View item on Science in the Making |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedMaterial | DOI: 10.1080/14786446008642818 |
| DOI: 10.1098/rspl.1891.0008 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8289 | Thomson; William (1824 - 1907); Baron Kelvin of Largs; physicist | 1824 - 1907 |