Born: 24 December 1818 · Died: 11 October 1889 · Age at death: 70
How old was James Prescott Joule when he died?
James Prescott Joule died aged 70. He was born on 24 December 1818 and died on 11 October 1889.
English physicist and brewer who showed that heat is a form of energy; the joule, the unit of energy, is named after him
Did you know?He carried a thermometer on his honeymoon in an attempt to measure the temperature change of water falling down a waterfall.
Quick facts
Date of birth24 December 1818
Date of death11 October 1889
Age at death70
NationalityBritish
BirthplaceSalford, United Kingdom
Occupationphysicist
Editor's Take:
James Prescott Joule showed that heat and work are two forms of the same thing. He was a brewer's son from Salford, taught as a boy by John Dalton. He had no university post and did his experiments at home. Using a falling weight to turn a paddle in water, he measured how much work makes how much heat. This helped establish the law of conservation of energy. He later worked with William Thomson on gases. The unit of energy is named after him.
Key Milestones
1840: Joule heating – electric current
1843: Heat – mechanical equivalent
1845: Paddle wheel – experiment
1850: Royal Society – Fellow
James Prescott Joule (24 December 1818 – 11 October 1889) was an English physicist. Joule studied the nature of heat and discovered its relationship to mechanical work.
James Prescott Joule's birthday is December 24. He was born on December 24, 1818 in Salford, United Kingdom.
How old was James Prescott Joule when he died?
James Prescott Joule died on October 11, 1889, aged 70.
Who shares a birthday with James Prescott Joule?
Famous people who share James Prescott Joule's December 24 birthday include Adam Mickiewicz, Ilham Aliyev, Hamid Karzai, Tarja Halonen and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
