In the pursuit of Scala Graduum Caloris

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In summary, Newton said that the law of cooling was true only if the ambient environment had a breeze (aka a current of air).
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marexz
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In the pursuit of "Scala Graduum Caloris"

Hello dear members of the forum!

I would like to ask for your help! I'm doing a science project for which I need Isaac Newton's research paper on The Law of Cooling. As I understand the topic is covered in his paper "Scala Graduum Caloris" which obviously is in Latin. I have been digging through the web but could not manage to find a translated version of this paper. Alternatively, I have heard that prof. Crichton Mitchell in 1887 reviewed this paper to point out some misunderstandings, again, I couldn't find a paper on that (there was possibly something in one of the reviews I found but that costs $45 which is much too much for me).

P.S. If this could be of any help then I have to point out that I am particularly interested in finding out what exactly did Newton say about the requirements for his law to be true because I have found non-referenced citations that mostly it has been misunderstood and that actually Newton pointed out the requirement for the ambient environment to be actually a current of air (aka breeze) for his law to be true but most textbooks have missed out on that (wikipedia also).

Thank you!
 
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This http://digital.library.okstate.edu/oas/oas_pdf/v43/p198_202.pdf (the first hit from google!) implies Newton just assumed it was true, and used it to define a scale of temperature (which almost makes it true by definition).

Bear in mind that there was nothing resembling modern thermodynamics until several hundred years after Newton - indeed Newton didn't have a clear concept of energy, and certainly not heat energy, so it's not surprising his ideas on this were a bit imprecise.

Have you tried http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/Newton ?
 
  • #3
AlephZero said:
This http://digital.library.okstate.edu/oas/oas_pdf/v43/p198_202.pdf (the first hit from google!) implies Newton just assumed it was true, and used it to define a scale of temperature (which almost makes it true by definition).

Bear in mind that there was nothing resembling modern thermodynamics until several hundred years after Newton - indeed Newton didn't have a clear concept of energy, and certainly not heat energy, so it's not surprising his ideas on this were a bit imprecise.

Have you tried http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/Newton ?

Thank you, I've already had found these links but the first one doesn't really cut it but speaking of Newton's discoveries - I am not looking for imprecisions in Newton's work but actually looking for one quote I've found unreferenced which indicates that actually the scientific world has somehow omitted the full thought of his towards the law of cooling (they somehow skipped the part where he talked about the moving air current as a requirement) :)

Edited: Oh, now I really have to thank you because I re-read the first paper and it had what I wanted all along!
 

What is "Scala Graduum Caloris"?

Scala Graduum Caloris, also known as the "scale of temperature degrees", is a scale used to measure temperature. It was developed by the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in the early 18th century.

How does the Scala Graduum Caloris compare to other temperature scales?

The Scala Graduum Caloris is based on a 100-degree scale, where the freezing point of water is 0 degrees and the boiling point is 100 degrees. This is different from the Fahrenheit scale, which has a freezing point of 32 degrees and a boiling point of 212 degrees. The Celsius scale is also used in science and medicine, making it more widely recognized and used compared to other scales.

What are the benefits of using the Scala Graduum Caloris?

The Scala Graduum Caloris is a metric scale, making it easier to convert and compare temperatures. It is also based on the properties of water, which allows for a standard and consistent measurement. Additionally, it is widely used in scientific research and allows for precise temperature measurements.

Is the Scala Graduum Caloris still used today?

Yes, the Scala Graduum Caloris is still used in many countries around the world, particularly in scientific and medical fields. However, in 1948, the General Conference on Weights and Measures officially adopted the name "Celsius" for the scale, and it is now the preferred term over "Scala Graduum Caloris".

Are there any limitations to the Scala Graduum Caloris?

One limitation of the Scala Graduum Caloris is that it is based on a 100-degree scale, which may not be precise enough for certain applications. It also does not take into account negative temperatures, which can be measured on other scales such as Kelvin. Additionally, there are other temperature scales, such as the Rankine scale, which may be more suitable for specific industries or purposes.

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