Lord kelvin scientist biography for kids
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Lord Kelvin facts for kids
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, OM, GCVO, PC, FRS, FRSE (26 June 1824 – 17 December 1907) was a British mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. He was the Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow for 53 years, where he undertook significant research and mathematical analysis of electricity, the formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and contributed significantly to unifying physics, which was then in its infancy of development as an emerging academic discipline.
Absolute temperatures are stated in units of kelvin in his honour. The Joule–Thomson effect is also named in his honour. While the existence of a coldest possible temperature, known as absolute zero, was known prior to his work, Kelvin is known for determining its correct value as approximately −273.15 degrees Celsius or −459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Childhood
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin was born to [James Thomson (ma
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Lord Kelvin 1824-1907
Early life and education
Professor William Thomson, later Baron Kelvin of Largs, was born in Belfast, Ireland, 26 June 1824 and died in Largs, Scotland 17 December 1907. His life and career was one of academic excellence, innovation and pioneering achievements. This short biography cannot do justice to Thomson’s many accomplishments but can help to highlight and celebrate a life that was an inspiration to many.
Thomson’s introduction to this world came at an early age. His father, James Thomson, was Professor of Mathematics at the Academical Institution, Belfast and then in 1832 was appointed to the Chair of Mathematics at the University of Glasgow. He welcomed his sons to lectures and Thomson, being an extraordinary child, matriculated from the University of Glasgow at age 10. His academic prowess did not stop there.
In 1841, aged seventeen, Thomson was admitted to St Peter's College, Cambridge. His undergraduate achievements were not solely academic:
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Sir William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824 - 1907)
Lord Kelvin ©Kelvin was a Scottish mathematician and physicist who developed the Kelvin scale of temperature measurement.
William Thomson was born on 26 June 1824 in Belfast. He was taught by his father, a professor of mathematics. In 1832, the family moved to Glasgow where Thomson attended university from the age of 10, subsequently studying at Cambridge and Paris universities. In 1846 he became professor of natural philosophy in Glasgow, a brev he would hold for more than 50 years.
In Glasgow, Thomson created the first physics laboratory in Britain. He was a pionjär in many different fields, particularly electromagnetism and thermodynamics. Together with Faraday, he was responsible for the introduction of the concept of an electromagnetic field. In thermodynamics, Thomson assimilated and developed the work of the pioneers of the subject, Nicolas Carnot and James Joule. One of the most important results of his work was his