Mechanical Equivalent of Heat
Item Code: RT 048
Mechanical work and heat are two different forms of energy. Transformation of heat energy to mechanical energy can be seen in steam engines, and transformation of mechanical work to heat energy is possible when work is done against friction force .Thompson is maybe the first scientist who found out the relation between mechanical work and heat energy, and Joule, through experimentation, calculated the numerical mechanical equivalent of heat. He expressed the results of his experiment as follows: the ratio of mechanical work to produced heat is constant. Therefore this ratio or this constant, is called mechanical equivalent or Joule.
