Joule-Thomson effect

noun

Joule-Thom·​son effect
: the change in temperature of a gas on expansion through a porous plug from a high pressure to a lower one under adiabatic conditions, the observation of this change proving among other things that Joule's second law is only approximately true

Word History

Etymology

after J. P. Joule and Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) †1907 British physicist

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Cite this Entry

“Joule-Thomson effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Joule-Thomson%20effect. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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