William Thomson Kelvin Lord

Kelvin, William Thomson, Lord (1824–1907), British physicist. He formulated the second law of thermodynamics and introduced the Kelvin, or absolute temperature, scale. His work on electromagnetism gave rise to the theory of the electromagnetic field, and his papers influenced J. Clerk Maxwell's work on the electromagnetic theory of light. His work on telegraphic signaling played an essential part in the successful laying of the first Atlantic cable.

See also: Galvanometer; Thermodynamics.