Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Principle of Similitude

1915; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 95; Issue: 2389 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/095644b0

1476-4687

RAYLEIGH,

Quantum Mechanics and Applications

THE question raised by Dr. Riabouchinsky (NATURE, July 29, p. 591) belongs rather to the logic than to the use of the principle of similitude, with which I was mainly concerned (NATURE, March 18, p. 66). It would be well worthy of further discussion. The conclusion that I gave follows on the basis of the usual Fourier equations for conduction of heat, in which heat and temperature are regarded as sui generis. It would indeed be a paradox if the further knowledge of the nature of heat afforded by molecular theory put us in a worse position than before in dealing with a particular problem. The solution would seem to be that the Fourier equations embody something as to the nature of heat and temperature which is ignored in the alternative argument of Dr. Riabouchinsky.