American Journal of Physics · 1955 · 153 citations · 0 references
Temperature ScalesKelvin ScaleEngineeringDifferential Scanning CalorimetryMeasurementMeasurement Standards (Educational Assessment)EducationExperimental ThermodynamicsTemperature PredictionCalibrationThermal PhysiologyCalorimetryApplied MeasurementThermodynamicsThermoanalytical MethodCalorimetric MethodHeat TransferInternational Temperature ScaleTemperature MeasurementHeat UnitsMeasurement Standards (Electrical Engineering)Thermal Engineering
Calorimetry measures heat quantities, and temperature scales—particularly the International Temperature Scale and the Kelvin scale—have been standardized since the 1920s, with the joule adopted as the heat unit in 1948. The authors emphasize the necessity of employing clear, unambiguous heat units.
Calorimetry is the measurement of quantities of heat. Temperature scales are usually involved. The General Conference on Weights and Measures adopted the International Temperature Scale (practical scale) in 1927 and its first revision in 1948. This scale is nearly parallel to the thermodynamic scale, proposed by Kelvin in 1854. In 1954 the General Conference redefined the Kelvin Scale, in the manner which Kelvin originally said “must be adopted ultimately,” by assigning a value for the temperature of a single fixed point, viz. 273.16° for the triple point of water (ice point=273.15°). Several calories have been used in the past but the joule was adopted for the unit of quantity of heat in 1948. The need is stressed for using units of heat which are unambiguous.