V.
ON THE CAUSE OF THE COOLING EFFECT PRODUCED ON SOLIDS BY TENSION.[330]
From the Philosophical Magazine for May, 1864.
From a series of experiments made by Dr. Joule with his usual accuracy, he found that when bodies are subjected to tension, a cooling effect takes place. “The quantity of cold,” he says, “produced by the application of tension was sensibly equal to the heat evolved by its removal; and further, that the thermal effects were proportional to the weight employed.”[331] He found that when a weight was applied to compress a body, a certain amount of heat was evolved; but the same weight, if applied to stretch the body, produced a corresponding amount of cold.
This, although it does not appear to have been remarked, is a most singular result. If we employ a force to compress a body, and then ask what has become of the force applied, it is quite a satisfactory answer to be told that the force is converted into heat, and reappears in the molecules of the body as such; but if the same force be employed to stretch the body, it will be no answer to be told that the force is converted into cold. Cold cannot be the force under another form, for cold is a privation of force. If a body, for example, is compressed by a weight, the vis viva of the descending weight is transmitted to the molecules of the body and reappears under that form of force called heat; but if the same weight is applied so as to stretch or expand the body, not only does the force of the weight disappear without producing heat, but the molecules which receive the force lose part of that which they already possessed. Not only does the force of the weight disappear, but along with it a portion of the force previously existing in the molecules under the form of heat. We have therefore to inquire, not merely into what becomes of the force imparted by the weight, but also what becomes of the force in the form of heat which disappears from the molecules of the body itself. That the vis viva of the descending weight should disappear without increasing the heat of the molecules is not so surprising, because it may be transformed into some other form of force different from that of heat. For it is by no means evident à priori that heat should be the only form under which it may exist. But it is somewhat strange that it should cause the force previously existing in the molecules in the form of heat also to change into some other form.
When a weight, for example, is employed to stretch a solid body, it is evident that the force exerted by the weight is consumed in work against the cohesion of the particles, for the entire force is exerted so as to pull them separate from each other. But the cooling effect which takes place shows that more force disappears than simply what is exerted by the weight; for the cooling effect is caused by the disappearance of force in the shape of heat from the body itself. The force exerted by the weight disappears in performing work against the cohesion of the particles of the body stretched. But what becomes of the energy in the form of heat which disappears from the body at the same time? It must be consumed in performing work of some kind or other. The force exerted by the weight cannot be the cause of the cooling effect. The transferrence of force from the weight to the body may be the cause of a heating effect—an increase of force in the body; but this transferrence of force to the body cannot be the cause of a decrease of force in the body. If a decrease of force actually follows the application of tension, the weight can only be the occasion, not the cause of the decrease.
In what manner, then, does the stretching of the body by the weight become the occasion of its losing energy in the shape of heat? Or, in other words, what is the cause of the cooling effects which result from tension? The probable explanation of the phenomenon seems to be this: if the molecules of a body are held together by any force, of whatever nature it may be, which prevents any further separation taking place, then the entire heat applied to such a body will appear as temperature; but if this binding force becomes lessened so as to allow further expansion, then a portion of the heat applied will be lost in producing expansion. All solids at any given temperature expand until the expansive force of their heat exactly balances the cohesive force of their molecules, after which no further expansion at the same temperature can possibly take place while the cohesive force of the molecules remains unchanged. But if, by some means or other, the cohesive force of the molecules become reduced, then instantly the body will expand under the heat which it possesses, and of course a portion of the heat will be consumed in expansion, and a cooling effect will result. Now tension, although it does not actually lessen the cohesive force of the molecules of the stretched body, yet produces, by counteracting this force, the same effect; for it allows the molecules an opportunity of performing work of expansion, and a cooling effect is the consequence. If the piston of a steam-engine, for example, be loaded to such an extent that the steam is unable to move it, the steam in the interior of the cylinder will not lose any of its heat; but if the piston be raised by some external force, the molecules of the steam will assist this force, and consequently will suffer loss of heat in proportion to the amount of work which they perform. The very same occurs when tension is applied to a solid. Previous to the application of tension, the heat existing in the molecules is unable to produce any expansion against the force of cohesion. But when the influence of cohesion is partly counteracted by the tension applied, the heat then becomes enabled to perform work of expansion, and a cooling effect is the result.
VI.
THE CAUSE OF REGELATION.[332]