Hermann von helmholtz theory

Scientist of the Day - Hermann von Helmholtz

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Hermann von Helmholtz, a German physicist and physiologist, was born Aug. 31, 1821. Helmholtz was as multi-faceted a scientist as one could find in the 19th century. Since the German army paid for his education, he spent some time (5 years) in the medical corps, during which time he became interested in human physiology. For the rest of his life he did physics, but his interest in physiology never went away. He splashed onto the academic map in 1847, when he published a lengthy paper, Über die Erhaltung der Kraft (On the Conservation of Force). A few years earlier, James Joule of England and Julius Mayer of Germany had independently discovered "the mechanical equivalent of heat," namely that when one uses heat to produce work (or vice versa), a certain amount of heat will produce a certain amount of work (or vice versa). This was the first step on the road to the

Hermann von Helmholtz

1. Biographical note and selective timeline

The definitive biography of Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894) is by his friend and associate, the mathematician Leo Königsberger. Königsberger’s biography is available in toto from Google Books, since it is in the public domain. While Königsberger’s treatment of scientific subjects can be dated somewhat, for biographical information his account is unrivaled.

Selective Timeline

1845Joins Berlin Physical Society
1847“On the Conservation of Force,” pamphlet
1849–1855Professor of Physiology at Königsberg
1850Description of an Opthalmoscope for the Investigation of the Retina in the Living Eye, Berlin: Verlag von A. Förster
1855–1858Professor of Physiology and Anatomy at Bonn
1856–1867Handbook of Physiological Optics, Leipzig: Leopold Voss
1858“On Integrals of the Hydrodynamic Equations which Express Vortex-Motions,” Crelle’s Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik, Vol. 5

Hermann von Helmholtz

German physicist and physiologist (1821–1894)

"Helmholtz" redirects here. For other uses, see Helmholtz (disambiguation).

Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (; German:[ˈhɛʁ.manvɔnˈhɛlmˌhɔlts]; 31 August 1821 – 8 September 1894; "von" since 1883) was a German physicist and physician who made significant contributions in several scientific fields, particularly hydrodynamic stability.[2] The Helmholtz Association, the largest German association of research institutions, was named in his honour.[3]

In the fields of physiology and psychology, Helmholtz is known for his mathematics concerning the eye, theories of vision, ideas on the visual perception of space, colour vision research, the sensation of tone, perceptions of sound, and empiricism in the physiology of perception. In physics, he is known for his theories on the conservation of energy and on the electrical double layer, work in electrodynamics, chemical thermodynamics, and on a mechanical foundation of thermodynamics. Although credit is shared with Julius von May

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