In the late 18th century, the concept of heat and temperature was a hot topic among scientists. They were curious about why different materials behaved differently when heated. This curiosity led to the birth of the concept of specific heat capacity. The story begins with a Scottish scientist named Joseph Black. He was a clever … Read more
The story of water’s peculiar behavior begins in the mid-19th century. In 1859, a British scientist named W.J.M. Rankine made a groundbreaking discovery. He observed that when water freezes, it expands and occupies more space than it does in its liquid form. This was contrary to the common behavior of substances, which typically contract upon … Read more
The concept of materials expanding with heat has likely been observed since ancient times, as people noticed that hot days could cause doors to stick or metals to become more pliable. The scientific study of thermal expansion began during the Renaissance. This period marked the birth of modern science, with scholars starting to quantify and … Read more
The concept of temperature—how hot or cold something is—has fascinated humans for centuries. Even ancient civilizations noticed the effects of temperature on their surroundings. However, finding precise ways to measure temperature posed a challenge. Whether ancient Greeks or Chinese had specific ways to measure temperature is unclear. However, we can trace the history of temperature … Read more