Joseph Lambert
Absolute Zero (Joseph Lambert)
In 1779 Joseph Lambert proposed a definition for absolute zero on the temperature scale that was based on the straight-line relationship between the temperature and pressure of a gas shown in Figure 4.8. He defined absolute zero as the temperature at which the pressure of a gas becomes zero when a plot of pressure versus temperature for a gas is extrapolated. According to the data in the table below, the pressure of a gas approaches zero when the temperature is about -270C. When more accurate measurements are made, the pressure of a gas extrapolates to zero when the temperature is -273.15C. Absolute zero on the Celsius scale is therefore -273.15oC.
The Dependence of the Pressure of a Gas on its Temperature
| Temperature (ºC) | Pressure (lb/in2) |
| 100 | 18.1 |
| 74 | 16.7 |
| 24 | 14.5 |
| 0 | 13.2 |
| -47 | 10.8 |
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