The concepts and theories of modern physics / By J.B. Stallo.

  • John Stallo
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The concepts and theories of modern physics / By J.B. Stallo. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    68/376 (page 18)
    writings publislied during the second half of the pres- ent century, since the discoveries made in organic chem- istry l)y the aid of the atomic theory, the revelations of the spectroscope, the estahlishment of the doctrine of the conservation of energy, and the promulgation of the mechanical theory of heat with its complement, the kinetic theory of gases. Thus Kirchhotf, one of the founders of the theory of spectral analysis, said in 1S65: “The highest object at which the natural sci- ences are constrained to aim, hut which they will never I’each, is the determination of the forces which are present in nature, and of the state of matter at any given moment—in one word, the reduction of all the phenomena of nature to mechanics.” * To the same effect Helmholtz, in his inaugural address delivered be- fore the meeting of the association of physicians and naturalists at Innspruck, in 1869 : “ The object of the natural sciences is to find the motions npon which all other changes are based, and their corresponding mo- tive forces—to resolve themselves, therefore, into me- chanics.” f Ho less pointed are the words of Clerk ^Maxwell: “When a physical phenomenon,” he writes, “ can be completely described as a change in the com figuration and motion of a material system, the dynami- cal explanation of that phenomenon is said to be com- * “ Das hocchste Zicl, welches die Natnrwisscnschaften zu erstrebeu haben, abcr niemals errcichcn wcrden, ist die Ennittcluiig der Kraofto, welche in der Natur vorhanden sind und dcs Zustandcs in dem die Ma- tcric in cincin Angenblick sich befindet, init einem Worte, die Zurneck- fuchning allcr Naturcrsclicinungcn auf die Mechanik ” Kirc-hhoff, Uebor das Zicl der Naturwisseuschafton. Prorcctoratsredc, Heidelberg, 1865. S. 9, 24. f “ DasEndzicl dcr Natnrwisscnschaften ist, die alien andcrn Vcracn- dcrungcn zu Grundc licgcnden Hewc cungon und dcreu Triebkraefte zu hnden, also sich in Mechanik aufzulocsen.” Helmholtz, Populaerwis- seuschaftlieho Vortraegc, i, 93.