James Prescott Joule

James Prescott Joule (December 24, 1818 - October 11, 1889) was a British physicist who was born in Salford, England. In 1833, he was sent by his father to be tutored for four years by the famous scientist John Dalton. Joule soon became one of the most accurate scientists of his time. During 1838 - 1841 when he was working in his father's brewery, he tried to make a much more efficient motor. At just 20 years of age, after sending a numerous …

…noticed that heat could not be destroyed nor created, only changed. He conducted many experiments in 1843 to determine the mechanical value of heat. His last and most famous experiment involved a paddle wheel which was stirred through the water and then he measured the head from friction. He finally determined the amount of heat needed to raise one point of water one degree. (Figure 1.2) James Prescott Joule died on 11th October 1889 at Sale, Cheshire, England.