Overview

In 1761, Joseph Black (1728-1799), an English chemist, discovered that ice, while it was in the process of melting, did not warm up until it was completely melted. He later made the same discovery about boiling water; it stayed stubbornly at 212 degrees while boiling, regardless of the amount of heat applied to the pot. These discoveries, simple though they seem, led directly to major discoveries in the science of heat transfer, called thermodynamics, and to greater efficiencies in the steam engines that powered the Industrial Revolution. These same principles continue to be taught to physics students and engineers today, and are frequently used in operating and designing air conditioning, refrigeration, jet engines, nuclear power plants, and many others.

Background

The Industrial Revolution was as much a revolution in power supplies as in manufacturing techniques...