Victor Regnault nsIn existographies, Henri Victor Regnault (1810-1878) (CR:2) was a French chemist and physicist notable as for being a mentor to Scottish physicist William Thomson, during the years 1845-46, as the chair of chemistry at the École Polytechnique, and for his research on the thermal properties of gases.

Overview
In 1847, Regnault, in his 700-page article “Experimental Relations … to determine the Main Laws and Numerical Data Entering into the Calculations of Steam Machines”, presented what was then considered the standard authority of data in relation to critical point phenomena. [2] This paper stimulated William Rankine to develop his theories of thermo-dynamics and his “molecular vortex” hypothesis.


Education
Regnault entered the École Polytechnique in 1830, graduating in 1832, and then entered the École des Mines, where he developed an aptitude for experimental chemistry. [3]

See also
Thomson’s search for Carnot’s Reflections

References
1. (a) Muller, Ingo. (2007). A History of Thermodynamics - the Doctrine of Energy and Entropy, (pg. 56). New York: Springer.
(b) Laider, Keith J. (1993). The World of Physical Chemistry, (pgs. 92, 444). Oxford University Press.
2. (a) Regnault, Henri V. (1847). “Experimental Relations … to determine the Main Laws and Numerical Data Entering into the Calculations of Steam Machines” (“Relations des experiences … pour determiner les principales lois et les donnees numeriques qui entrent dand le calcul des machines a vapeur.”), Memoires de l’Academie des Sciences de l’Institute de France, Paris, Vol. 21, (pgs. 1-748).
(b) Thurston, Robert. (1878). A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine (txt) (pdf) (pg. 448). Appleton and Company.
3. Henri-Victor Regnault – NNDB.

Further reading

● Dalton, John, Gay-Lussac, Joseph L., Biot, Jean-Baptiste, Regnault, Victor, and Chappuis, Pierre E. (1902). The Expansion of Gases by Heat: Memoirs of Dalton, Gay-Lussac, Regnault, and Chappuis. American Book Co.

External links
Henri Victor Regnault – Wikipedia.
Henri Victor Regnault – Encyclopedia Britannica, 1911.

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