Benjamin Thompson
Thompson, Benjamin (1753-1814) was an American-born British physicist, political figure, and a founder of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. His study of heat established the modern theory that heat is a form of motion.
Thompson was born in 1753 in Woburn, Massachusetts. In 1772, he moved to Rumford (now Concord), New Hampshire. Thompson remained loyal to the British Crown during the Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and served the Loyalists. After the fall of Boston in 1776, he fled to England. He rose rapidly in British politics and was appointed secretary of the Province of Georgia. After serving in the British Army, he retired with the rank of colonel and was knighted by King George III in 1784. The Crown granted permission for Thompson to join the court of the elector of Bavaria, and in 1791, he was made a count of the Holy Roman Empire, taking the name of Count Rumford after his home in America.
Thompson's investigations on gunpowder won him a fellowship in the Royal Society of London in 1781. He became interested in the heat generated in cannon barrels by exploding gunpowder, even when no ball was fired. Through multiple experiments with friction, he established the vibratory theory of heat and made one of the earliest measurements of the equivalence of heat and mechanical energy. Prior to that, heat was thought to be a liquid form of matter. His studies of the insulating properties of cloth and fur showed that convection was the principal cause of heat loss, and that better insulation could be had by limiting convection.
He was also responsible for many social reforms. In Munich, he improved the living conditions of the poor by creating massive work programs and improving standards of nutrition. He introduced the potato to central Europe as a dietary staple. He invented early forms of a double boiler, a kitchen range, and a coffee percolator. His study of air currents led to improved fireplace designs, and he introduced James Watt 's steam engine into popular use. He established the Royal Institution of Great Britain, the Rumford professorship at Harvard University, and the Rumford medals of the Royal Society in London.