John Tyndall
Irish physicist (1820-1893) · Scientists · Died at 73
John Tyndall (; 2 August 1820 - 4 December 1893) was an Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism.
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John Tyndall circa 1850
John Tyndall explored the glacial tributaries feeding Mer de Glace in 1857. General topology (left); dirt-bands in glacier (right).
Tyndall's setup for preserving broths in optically pure air.
One of Tyndall's setups for showing that sound is reflected in air at the interface between air bodies of different densities.
With this setup Tyndall observed new chemical reactions produced by high frequency light waves acting on certain vapours. The main scientific interest here from his point of view was the additional hard data it lent to the grand question of the mechanism by which molecules absorb radiant energy.
John Tyndall's tutorial books about physics contained many illustrations. This one, from Heat Considered as Mode of Motion, is his setup for demonstrating that air cools during the act of expanding in volume; and that air heats up during the act of compressing in volume. (Click on image for more explanation).
Tyndall's illustration of Pictet's experimentAwards
About this person
Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air, proving the connection between atmospheric CO2 and what is now known as the greenhouse effect in 1859.
