Authorised form of name | Joule; James Prescott (1818 - 1889); physicist |
Dates | 1818 - 1889 |
Nationality | British |
Place of birth | New Bailey Street, Salford, Lancashire, England |
Date of birth | 24 December 1818 |
Place of death | 12 Wardle Road, Sale, Cheshire, England |
Date of death | 11 October 1889 |
Dates and places | Burial: Brooklands cemetery, Sale, Cheshire, England (16 October 1889) |
Occupation | Physicist |
Research field | Electricity |
Thermodynamics |
Mathematics |
Physics |
Activity | Education: Private tuition; tutored by John Dalton FRS 1822; tutored by John Davis Career: Manager of his father’s brewery, combining the role with personal experiments (1837-1854); replaced the brewery’s steam engines with electric motors; discovered what became known as Joule's First Law (1841); published results of experiments that challenged the widely popular caloric theory (1843). Memberships: FCS; Academy of Sciences of Turin (Foreign Member) Awards/Medals: Albert Medal 1880 |
Membership category | Fellow |
Date of election | 06/06/1850 |
Age at election | 32 |
Proposer | Williamm Thos Brande; Jonn Pereira; Michael Faraday; William Scoresby; John Peter Gassiot; William Snow Harris; Richard Phillips; Lyon Playfair; Andrew Crombie Ramsay; Edward Forbes; Thomas Graham |
Royal Society activity | Medals and prizes: Royal Medal 1852; Copley Medal 1870 |
Relationships | Parents: Benjamin Joule (1784–1858), a Salford brewer, and Alice (1788–1836), elder daughter of Thomas and Grace Prescott of Wigan. Spouse: Amelia Grimes (d. 1854), daughter of John Grimes, (18 August 1847). Children: Benjamin Arthur, Alice Amelia, and Henry. |
Published works | RCN 14787 RCN R81859 RCN 46426 |
General context | He formed the basis of the law of conservation of energy, the first law of thermodynamics. Known for the mechanical equivalent of heat; magnetostriction; Joule cycle; Joule effect; Joule expansion; Joule's first law; Joule's second law; Joule–Thomson effect. Disproved the caloric theory. |
Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
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Sources | Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB References: J S Rowlinson, 'Energy in the 19th Century', review of Crosbie Smith, The Science of Energy. A Cultural History of Energy Physics in Victorian Britain in NR 1999 vol 53 pp 281-282 Colin A Russell, review of Donald S L Cardwell, James Joule: A Biography in NR 1990 vol 44 pp 311-313 J T Lloyd, 'Background to the Joule-Mayer Controversy' in NR 1970 vol 25 pp 211-225 B Marsden, 'From Watt to Cardwell. The development of science and technology in nineteenth century Britain: the importance of Manchester, by D Cardwell, ed R L Hills' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 318-320 D Cahan 'The awarding of the Copley Medal and the discovery of the law of conservation of energy,; Joule, Mayer and Heimholtz revisted |
Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/27867468 |
Royal Society code | NA7041 |
Reference number | Title | Date |
MM/14/65 | Letter from J P Joule, Salford, to the Royal Society | 2 November 1849 |
IM/002460 | Joule, James Prescott | nd |
MS/373/1/106 | Testimonial by James Prescott Joule, supporting Thomas Edward Thorpe | April 1874 |
MC/4/28 | Letter from James Prescott Joule, New Bailey Street, Salford, to Dr Peter Mark Roget, Secretary of the Royal Society | 7 June 1844 |
NLB/3/813 | Copy letter from Theodore E James, to Messrs Harrison & Sons | 15 October 1889 |
NLB/5/878 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to Leonard C Lindsay, Secretary, Victorian Exhibition, 121 Regent Street, W | 9 November 1891 |
NLB/5/845 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to L C Lindsay, Victorian Exhibition, 121 Regent Street, W. | 2 November 1891 |
NLB/12/453 | Copy letter from Edward Frankland, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, to Monsieur le Secretaire Perpetuel de l'Academie des Sciences, Paris | 20 February 1896 |
RR/2/131 | Referee's report by William Hallowes Miller, on a paper 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion' by William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin and James Prescott Joule | 7 July 1853 |
RR/4/144 | Referee's report by William Hopkins, on a paper 'On some thermo-dynamic properties of solids' by James Prescott Joule | 13 December 1858 |
RR/3/156 | Referee's report by William Thomson, Lord Kelvin on a paper 'Introductory research on the induction of magnetism by electrical currents' by James Prescott Joule | 16 November 1855 |
RR/2/238 | Referee's report by William Hopkins, on a paper 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion - Part II' by William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin and James Prescott Joule | 17 October 1854 |
NLB/60/558 | Copy letter from Arthur Schuster, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society; to the Secretary of the Akademie der Wissenschaften; Vienna, Austria | 24 February 1921 |
NLB/61/127 | Copy letter from Francis Alexander Towle, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to N. K. Adam Esquire; The End House, Owlstone Road, Cambridge | 18 May 1921 |
RR/7/174 | Referee's report by James Prescott Joule, on a paper 'On the specific heat and other physical characters of mixtures of methylic alcohol and water, and on certain relations existing between the specific heat of a mixture or solution and the heat evolved or absorbed in their formation' by August Dupre | 1872 |
MS/373/1/4 | Letter from James Prescott Joule, 5 Cliff Point, Higher Broughton, to Thomas Edward Thorpe | 23 May 1870 |
MS/426/540 | Note of a letter from [the Secretaries of] the Royal Society; to various individuals | 8 May 1855 |
MM/21/46 | Letter from William Thomson, Baron Kelvin to Edward Sabine | 4 October 1853 |
NLB/3/889 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to Professor Michael Foster, Fellow of the Royal Society | 4 November 1889 |
RR/2/128 | Referee's report by Henry Moseley, on a paper 'On the mechanical equivalent of heat' by James Precott Joule | 1850 |
RR/8/110 | Referee's report by William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, on a paper 'New determination of the mechanical equivalent of heat' by James Prescott Joule | 6 April 1878 |
EC/1850/15 | Joule, James Prescott: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
RR/8/111 | Referee's report by Robert Bellamy Clifton, on a paper 'New determination of the mechanical equivalent of heat' by James Prescott Joule | 10 April 1878 |
MC/11/154 | Letter from James P [Prescott] Joule, 12 Wardle Road Sale, Manchester, to [George Gabriel] Stokes, [Secretary of the Royal Society] | 16 January 1878 |
P/0077 | Portrait of Joule, James Prescott | 1882 |
PT/63/8 | Paper, 'On the surface condensation of steam' by J P [James Prescott] Joule | [1860] |
PT/49/8 | Paper, 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion' by J P [James Prescott] Joule and Professor W [William] Thomson | [1854] |
RR/2/239 | Referee's report by John Tyndall, on a paper 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion - Part II' by William Thomson, Lord Kelvin and James Prescott Joule | 31 October 1854 |
PT/47/3 | Paper, 'On the thermal effects of elastic fluids' by Wm [William] Thomson and J P [James Prescott] Joule | [1853] |
PT/43/4 | Paper, 'On an air engine' by James Prescott Joule | 20 March 1852 |
RR/2/129 | Referee's report by William Hallowes Miller, on a paper 'On the air-engine' by James Precott Joule | 16 January 1852 |
RR/2/130 | Second referee's report by William Hallowes Miller, on a paper 'On the air-engine' by James Precott Joule | 29 March 1852 |
RR/3/265 | Referee's report by James Prescott Joule, on a paper 'Further researches on the polarity of the diamagnetic force' by John Tyndall | 9 February 1856 |
PT/61/4/1 | Manuscript, 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion' by Professor W [William] Thomson and J P [James Prescott] Joule | [1860] |
PT/61/4/2 | Plate, apparatus for measuring effect of motion on thermoelectric junctions of copper and wire by unknown artist | [1860] |
PT/66/1/3 | Plate, ['Chart of thermal effects for pressure of 100 inches mercury'] by unknown artist | [1862] |
PT/66/1/1 | Manuscript, 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion' by J P [James Prescott] Joule and Wm [William] Thomson | [1862] |
PT/66/1/2 | Plate, diagrams of apparatus used in experiments on thermal effects of fluids by unknown artist | [1862] |
RR/5/128 | Referee's report by William John Macquorn Rankine, on a paper 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion.— Part IV' by William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin and James Prescott Joule | 10 July 1862 |
PT/54/4 | Paper, 'Introductory research on the induction of magnetism by electrical currents' by J P [James Prescott] Joule | 20 June 1855 |
MC/4/132 | Letter from John Davies and James [Prescott] Joule, Secretaries of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, to [Dr Peter Mark Roget and Samuel Hunter Christie], the Secretaries of the Royal Society | 20 April 1846 |
MC/4 | Volume 4 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1844-1850 |
MC/5/106 | Letter from J P [James Prescott] Joule, Acton Square, Salford, to Colonel [Edward] Sabine, [Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society] | 23 May 1853 |
PT/37/3 | Paper, 'On the mechanical equivalent of heat' by James P [Prescott] Joule | 4 June 1849 |
PT/75/8/1 | Diagrams, apparatuses used in experiments on thermodynamic properties of solids by [James Prescott Joule?] | [1858] |
AP/23/34/2 | Unpublished diagram, experimental apparatus by James Prescott Joule | 13 October 1840 |
AP/23/34 | Unpublished paper, 'On the production of heat by voltaic electricity' by James Prescott Joule | 13 October 1840 |
AP/23/34/1 | Unpublished manuscript, 'On the production of heat by voltaic electricity' by James Prescott Joule | 13 October 1840 |
AP/27/5/2 | Unpublished diagrams, experimental apparatus for observing the changes of temperature produced by rarefaction and condensation of air' by James Prescott Joule | 6 June 1844 |
PT/61/4 | Paper, 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion' by Professor W [William] Thomson and J P [James Prescott] Joule | [1860] |
AP/38/9 | Paper, 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion' by William Thomson and J P [James Prescott] Joule | 1856 |
RR/3/145 | Letter from James Prescott Joule, on a paper 'On the action of aqueous vapour in disturbing the atmosphere' by Thomas Hopkins | 22 February 1858 |
AP/38/14 | Letter, regarding corrections to a paper by Thomas Woods from James P [Prescott] Joule to George Gabriel Stokes | 21 February 1856 |
MC/11 | Volume 11 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1877-1879 |
RR/3/159 | Referee's report by George Gabriel Stokes, on a paper 'On the thermal effects of compressing fluids' by James Prescott Joule | 27 December 1857 |
AP/38/30 | Paper, 'Thermal effects of fluids in motion' by J P [James Prescott] Joule and William Thomson | 1856 |
AP/39/9 | Paper, 'On the thermo-electricity of ferruginous metals, and on the thermal effects of stretching solid bodies' by J P [James Prescott] Joule | 28 January 1857 |
RR/3/144 | Letter from Thomas Hopkins, on his paper 'On the action of aqueous vapour in disturbing the atmosphere' to James Prescott Joule | 20 July 1858 |
AP/40/2 | Abstract, 'On the expansion of wood by heat' by James Prescott Joule | 1857 |
AP/42/11 | Unpublished paper, 'On the forces that produced the great currents of the air and of the oceans' by Thomas Hopkins | 1859 |
AP/27/5 | Unpublished paper, 'On the changes of temperature produced by rarefaction and condensation of air' by James Prescott Joule | 6 June 1844 |
AP/27/5/1 | Unpublished manuscript, 'On the changes of temperature produced by rarefaction and condensation of air' by James Prescott Joule | 6 June 1844 |
PT/66/1 | Paper, 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion' by J P [James Prescott] Joule and Wm [William] Thomson | [1862] |
RR/2/258 | Referee's report by James Prescott Joule, on a paper 'On a general law of density in saturated vapours' by John James Waterston | 7 May 1853 |
RR/3/154 | Referee's report by Michael Faraday, on a paper 'Introductory research on the induction of magnetism by electrical currents' by James Prescott Joule | 6 July 1855 |
RR/3/155 | Referee's report by John Tyndall, on a paper 'Introductory research on the induction of magnetism by electrical currents' by James Prescott Joule | 25 July 1855 |
RR/3/157 | Referee's report by John Tyndall, on a paper 'Introductory research on the induction of magnetism by electrical currents' by James Prescott Joule | 4 January 1856 |
RR/3/158 | Referee's report by Michael Faraday, on a paper 'Introductory research on the induction of magnetism by electrical currents' by James Prescott Joule | 7 January 1856 |
RR/4/265 | Referee's report by William John Macquorn Rankine, on a paper 'On the thermal effects of fluids in motion - Part III - On the changes of temperature experienced by bodies moving through air' by William Thomson, Lord Kelvin and James Prescott Joule | 29 June 1860 |
RR/7/264 | Referee's report by James Prescott Joule, on a paper 'On the radiation of heat from the moon, the law of its absorption by our atmosphere, and of its variation in amount with her phases' by Laurence Parsons, Earl of Rosse | 4 June 1873 |
MS/426/475 | Copy letter from C R [Charles Richard] Weld, the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to Sir Herschel | 8 November 1852 |
HS/10/429 | Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to James Prescott Joule, dated at Collingwood | 21 October 1863 |
HS/10/428 | Letter, from James Prescott Joule to Sir John Herschel, dated at Salford | 29 October 1846 |
HS/10/430 | Letter, from James Prescott Joule to Sir John Herschel, dated at Old Trafford | 24 October 1863 |
HS/23/216 | Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to James Prescott Joule, dated at Collingwood | 26 December 1857 |
MC/37/95 | Letter from James [Donald] Milner, National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Place, W.C.2., to [Francis Alexander] Towle, [Royal Society] | 30 May 1923 |
MC/37/94 | Letter from James [Donald] Milner, National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Place, W.C.2., to [Francis Alexander] Towle, [Royal Society] | 10 May 1923 |
MC/5 | Volume 5 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1851-1858 |
IM/002462 | Joule, James Prescott | circa 1876 |