William John Macquorn Rankine (July 2, 1820 - December 24, 1872) was a Scottish engineer and physicist. He was a founding contributor, with Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), to the science of thermodynamics. Rankine developed a fully complete theory of the steam engine. His manuals of engineering science and practice were used for many decades. He published several hundred papers and notes on science and engineering, from 1842 onwards, and his interests were extremely varied, including, in his youth, botany and music theory, and, in his mature years, most major branches of science, mathematics and engineering. He was an enthusiastic singer who composed his own songs. He was born in Edinburgh and died in Glasgow, a bachelor. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78... Engineering is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... The first few hydrogen atom electron orbitals shown as cross-sections with color-coded probability density. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... A steam engine is an external combustion heat engine that makes use of the thermal energy that exists in steam, converting it to mechanical work. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Pinguicula grandiflora Botany is the scientific study of plantlife. ... Music theory is a field of study that involves an investigation of the many diverse elements of a music, including the development and methodology for analyzing, hearing, understanding, and composing music. ... Science in the broadest sense refers to any knowledge or trained skill, especially (but not exclusively) when this is attained by verifiable means. ... Euclid, a famous Greek mathematician known as the father of geometry, is shown here in detail from The School of Athens by Raphael. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ; Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ...

W J M Rankine

W J M Rankine photograph This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... W J M Rankine photograph This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Early life

Born in Edinburgh to British Army lieutenant David Rankine and Barbara Grahame. His family origins on both sides were mostly from south west Scotland. Rankine was initially educated at home owing to his poor health but he later attended Ayr Academy and the High School of Glasgow. Edinburgh (pronounced ; Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ayr. ...

In 1836 Rankine began to study a spectrum of scientific topics at the University of Edinburgh, including natural history under Robert Jameson and natural philosophy under James Forbes. Under Forbes he was awarded prizes for essays on methods of physical inquiry and on the undulatory (wave) theory. During vacations, he assisted his father who was manager of the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway. He left Edinburgh University in 1838 without a degree (which was not unusual) and, perhaps because of straitened family finances, became an apprentice to Sir John Benjamin Macneill, who was at the time surveyor to the Irish Railway Commission. During his pupilage he developed a technique, later known as (Rankine's method), for laying out railway curves, fully exploiting the theodolite and making a substantial improvement in accuracy and productivity over existing methods. In fact, the technique was simultaneously in use by other engineers. Charles Darwin 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Table of natural history, 1728 Cyclopaedia Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now usually viewed as several distinct scientific disciplines. ... Robert Jameson Professor Robert Jameson (1774-1854) was a Scottish naturalist and mineralogist, born in Leith, near Edinburgh, in July 1774. ... Natural philosophy is a term applied to the objective study of nature and the physical universe before the development of modern science. ... James David Forbes (April 20, 1809 - December 31, 1868) was a Scottish physicist who worked extensively on the conduction of heat, seismology and glaciology. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ... Sir John Benjamin Macneill (1792/3 - 2 March 1880) was an eminent Irish civil engineer of the 19th century, closely associated with Thomas Telford. ... Diagram of an Optical Theodolite. ... Accuracy, in science, engineering, industry and statistics, is the degree of conformity of a measured/calculated quantity to its actual (true) value. ...

Returning to Scotland in 1842 and probably hearing of the Versailles accident, Rankine started to investigate the fatigue of railroad axles; he presented his findings in 1843 on the importance of stress concentration to the Institution of Civil Engineers, by which time he had already published privately An Experimental Inquiry into the Advantages of Cylindrical Wheels on Railways. Over the next five years he worked on a variety of civil engineering projects, including a scheme to improve Edinburgh's water supply, but especially on railways in Scotland. 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... In materials science, fatigue is the progressive, localized, and permanent structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic or fluctuating strains at nominal stresses that have maximum values less than (often much less than) the static yield strength of the material. ... In materials science, fatigue is the progressive, localized, and permanent structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic or fluctuating strains at nominal stresses that have maximum values less than (often much less than) the static yield strength of the material. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A stress concentration is a phenomenon encounterered in mechanical engineering where an object under load has higher than average local stresses due to its shape. ... The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. ...

The year 1842 also marked Rankine's first attempt to reduce the phenomena of heat to a mathematical form but he was frustrated by his lack of experimental data. At the time of Victoria's visit to Scotland, he organised a large bonfire constructed on Arthur's Seat, constructed with radiating air passages under the fuel. In physics, heat is defined as energy in transit. ... Euclid, a famous Greek mathematician known as the father of geometry, is shown here in detail from The School of Athens by Raphael. ... A bonfire or balefire is a large controlled outdoor fire made from bales of straw or wood. ... Arthurs Seat most frequently refers to Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland Other references to Arthurs Seat: Places named for King Arthur; most frequently to be found in England. ...

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts in 1842 and in 1843 he became an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Controversially, he was never made a full member. A society founded by Sir David Brewster in 1821 and dedicated to the promotion of invention and enterprise. External links Royal Scottish Society of Arts Categories: Stub ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Institutions headquarters Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineers. ...

From 1844-48 he worked on the construction of the Clydesdale Junction Railway, and in projects connected with the Caledonian Railway, of which his father had been the original Secretary. From about 1850 he explored other engineering projects, including a water supply for Brighton and for Glasgow, a hot-air engine, and telegraphic engineering. But none of these projects was particularly successful. In 1855, however, he was appointed Regius Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Glasgow. 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is the largest of the three universities in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

Thermodynamics

Work

In 1848, his interests turned to molecular physics at a time when the atomic hypothesis was still controversial and immature. Rankine attempted to apply his hypothesis of molecular vortices to the phenomena of birefringence (possibly motivated by the earlier work of Forbes) and of elasticity but without success. 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In chemistry, a molecule is an aggregate of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by special forces. ... Properties In chemistry and physics, an atom (Greek άτομον meaning indivisible) is the smallest possible particle of a chemical element that retains its chemical properties. ... A calcite crystal laid upon a paper with some letters showing the double refraction Birefringence, or double refraction, is the decomposition of a ray of light into two rays (the ordinary ray and the extraordinary ray) when it passes through certain types of material, such as calcite crystals, depending on... Elasticity has meanings in two different fields: In physics and mechanical engineering, the theory of elasticity describes how a solid object moves and deforms in response to external stress. ...

Undaunted, he returned to his youthful fascination with the mechanics of the heat engine. Though his theory of circulating streams of elastic vortices whose volumes spontaneously adapted to their environment sounds fanciful to scientists formed on a modern account, by 1849, he had succeeded in finding the relationship between saturated vapour pressure and temperature. The following year, he used his theory to establish relationships between the temperature, pressure and density of gases, and expressions for the latent heat of evaporation of a liquid. He accurately predicted the surprising fact that the apparent specific heat of saturated steam would be negative. In engineering and thermodynamics, a heat engine performs the conversion of heat energy to mechanical work by exploiting the temperature gradient between a hot source and a cold sink. Heat is transferred to the sink from the source, and in this process some of the heat is converted into work. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The saturation vapor pressure is the vapor pressure of water when air is saturated with water (having the maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold for a given temperature and pressure). ... In thermodynamics, temperature is the physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold —something that is hotter has the greater temperature. ... Pressure (symbol: p) is the force per unit area applied on a surface in a direction perpendicular to that surface. ... Density (symbol: ρ - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. ... A gas is one of the four main phases of matter (after solid and liquid, and followed by plasma), that subsequently appear as a solid material is subjected to increasingly higher temperatures. ... Latent heat describes the amount of energy in the form of heat that is required for a material to undergo a change of phase (also known as change of state). Two latent heats are typically described. ... Water vapor condensing over a cup of hot tea Evaporation is one of the two forms of vaporization. ... A liquid will assume the shape of its container. ... The specific heat capacity (symbol c or s, also called specific heat) of a substance is defined as heat capacity per unit mass. ... In chemistry, saturation has three different meanings: In physical chemistry, saturation is the point at which a solution of a substance can dissolve no more of that substance. ... In physical chemistry, and in engineering, steam refers to vaporized water. ...

Enboldened by his success, he set out to calculate the efficiency of heat engines and used his theory as a basis to deduce the principle, enunciated by Sadi Carnot, that the maximum efficiency of a heat engine is a function only of the two temperatures between which it operates. Though a similar result had already been derived by Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, the work marked the first step on Rankine's journey to develop a more complete theory of heat. Sadi Carnot Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot (June 1, 1796 - August 24, 1832) was a French mathematician and engineer who gave the first successful theoretical account of heat engines, the Carnot cycle, and laid the foundations of the second law of thermodynamics. ... Rudolf Clausius - physicist and mathematician Rudolf Julius Emanuel Clausius (January 2, 1822 – August 24, 1888), was a German physicist and mathematician. ... William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, GCVO, OM, PC, PRS (26 June 1824–17 December 1907) was an Irish-Scottish mathematical physicist, engineer, and outstanding leader in the physical sciences of the 19th century. ...

From 1853, Rankine recast the results of his molecular theories in terms of a macroscopic account of energy and its transformation. He distinguished between actual energy which was lost in dynamic processes and potential energy by which it was replaced. He assumed the sum of the two energies to be constant, an idea already familiar in the conservation of energy. From 1854, he made wide use of his thermodynamic function which he later realised was identical to entropy. By 1855, Rankine had formulated a science of energetics which gave an account of dynamics in terms of energy and transformation rather than force and motion. The theory was very influential in the 1890s. 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy (including potential energy) in a closed system remains constant. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... In thermodynamics, entropy, symbolized by S, is a state function of a thermodynamic system defined by the differential quantity , where dQ is the amount of heat absorbed in a reversible process in which the system goes from the one state to another, and T is the absolute temperature. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Energetics is the scientific study of energy flows under transfomation. ... In physics, a force is anything that causes a free body with mass to accelerate. ... Motion involves change in position, such as this perspective of rapidly leaving Yongsan Station In physics, motion means a change in the position of a body relative to a reference point, as measured by a particular observer in a particular frame of reference. ... The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...

Energetics offered Rankine an alternative, and rather more mainstream, approach, to his science and, from the mid 1850s, he made rather less use of his molecular vortices. However, as late as 1864, he contended that the microscopic theories of heat proposed by Clausius and James Clark Maxwell, based on linear atomic motion, were inadequate. It was only in 1869 that Rankine admitted the success of these rival theories. By that time, his own model of the atom had become almost identical with that of Thomson. // Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward the theory of evolution... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... James Clerk Maxwell James Clerk Maxwell (June 13, 1831 - November 5, 1879) was a Scottish physicist, born in Edinburgh. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

He used his own theories to develop a number of practical results and to elucidate their physical principles including:

• The Rankine-Hugoniot equation for propagation of shock waves;
• The Rankine cycle, an analysis of an ideal heat-engine with a condensor;
• Properties of steam, gases and vapours.

He proposed the Rankine temperature scale in 1859. The Rankine-Hugoniot equation governs the behaviour of shock waves normal to the oncoming flow. ... Introduction The shock wave is one of several different ways in which a gas in a supersonic flow can be compressed. ... The Rankine cycle is a thermodynamic cycle. ... Rankine is a now rarely used temperature scale named after the Scottish engineer and physicist William John Macquorn Rankine, who proposed it in 1859. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ...

Other work

He served as regius professor of civil engineering and mechanics at the University of Glasgow from 1855 until his death in 1872, pursuing engineering research along a number of lines in civil and mechanical engineering. The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is the largest of the three universities in Glasgow, Scotland. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The W16 engine from a Bugatti Veyron Mechanical engineering is a very broad field of engineering that involves the application of physical principles for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. ...

Rankine was instrumental in the formation of the 2nd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps at Glasgow University in July 1859, becoming Major in 1860 after it was formed into the first company of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps; he served until until 1864.

Civil engineering

Rankine made contributions to:

• Forces in frame structures;
• Soil mechanics;
• Earth pressures, and the stability of retaining walls, especially the graphical Rankine method.

Structural analysis is the computation of deformations, deflections, and internal forces or stresses (Stress Eqiuivalents) within structures, either for design or for performance evaluation of existing structures. ... Engineering Geology is the application of the science of geology to the understanding of geologic phenomena and the engineering solution of geologic hazards and other geologic problems for society. ... Structure in the foreground is called a mud box - a kind of retaining wall built to hold the flood waters in check. ...

Naval architecture

Rankine worked closely with Clyde shipbuilders, especially James Robert Napier, to make naval architecture into an engineering science. Rankine was a member of the board of enquiry into the sinking of the HMS Captain. HMS Captain was a revolutionary masted turret ship of the Royal Navy launched in 1869, and capsized the following year with tremendous loss of life. ...

• Rankine body

Honours

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, (1850);
• Fellow of the Royal Society, (1853);
• Keith Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, (1854);
• LL.D. from Trinity College, Dublin, (1857).

Rankine, a small impact crater near the eastern limb of the Moon, is also named in his honour. The Royal Society of Edinburghs Building on the corner of George St. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The premises of the Royal Society in London (first four properties only). ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Keith Medal is a prize awarded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotlands national academy, for a scientific paper published in the societys scientific journals, preference being given to a paper containing a discovery, either in mathematics or earth sciences. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Legum Doctor (English: Doctor of Laws; abbreviated to LL.D.) In the UK the LL.D. is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of exceptionally insightful and distinctive publications, containing significant and original contributions to the science or study of law. ... The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Rankine is a small lunar impact crater near the eastern limb of the Moon. ... Tycho crater on Earths moon. ... Bulk composition of the moons mantle and crust estimated, weight percent Oxygen 42. ...

Important works

Books

• Manual of Applied Mechanics, (1858);
• Manual of the Steam Engine and Other Prime Movers, (1859);
• Manual of Civil Engineering, (1861);
• Manual of Machinery and Millwork, (1869).

1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Papers

• Mechanical Action of Heat, (1850), read at the Royal Society of Edinburgh;
• General Law of Transformation of Energy, (1853), read at the Glasgow Philosophical Society;
• On the Thermodynamic Theory of Waves of Finite Longitudinal Disturbance, (1869)

1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

External links

• J. Macquorn Rankine

See also

• State function