Julius von Mayer

Julius Robert von Mayer
Born
Julius Robert Mayer[1]

25 November 1814
Died20 March 1878(1878-03-20) (aged 63)
Heilbronn, German Empire
NationalityGerman
Alma materUniversity of Tübingen
Known forFirst law of thermodynamics
Mechanical equivalent of heat
Mayer's reagent
Mayer's relation
AwardsCopley Medal (1871)
Poncelet Prize (1869)
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics

Julius Robert von Mayer (25 November 1814 – 20 March 1878) was a German physician, chemist, and physicist and one of the founders of thermodynamics. He is best known for enunciating in 1841 one of the original statements of the conservation of energy or what is now known as one of the first versions of the first law of thermodynamics, namely that "energy can be neither created nor destroyed".[2][3] In 1842, Mayer described the vital chemical process now referred to as oxidation as the primary source of energy for any living creature. He also proposed that plants convert light into chemical energy.

His achievements were overlooked and priority for the discovery in 1842 of the mechanical equivalent of heat was attributed to James Joule in the following year.

  1. ^ Ennobled in 1867.
  2. ^ Mayer, Robert (1841). Paper: 'Remarks on the Forces of Nature"; as quoted in: Lehninger, A. (1971). Biogenergetics – the Molecular Basis of Biological Energy Transformations, 2nd. Ed. London: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company. First Law
  3. ^ "30+ Variations of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics". IoHT Publications. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)