Josiah Willard Gibbs
Josiah Willard Gibbs ( born February 11, 1839 in New Haven, Connecticut, † April 28, 1903 ) was an American physicist.
Gibbs studied mathematics and natural sciences at the University of New Haven. 1863 to 1866 he was a tutor at Yale College. He then went to Europe and continued his studies in Paris, Berlin and Heidelberg continues. 1871 Gibbs was appointed a professor at Yale University in New Haven.
Between 1876 and 1878 he wrote a series of articles with the general title On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances, which is regarded as one of the greatest achievements in physics of the 19th century and is considered the foundation of physical chemistry. In these articles, Gibbs turned to thermodynamics to interpret physicochemical phenomena. One of the tenets discussed include the Gibbs phase rule. Gibbs' article on thermodynamics appeared in the Transactions of the Connecticut Academy. On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances was translated into German in 1891 and 1899 into French; the theorems contained were known in Europe and applied. Special distribution they learned it by the experimental work of HW Bakhuis Roozeboom.
Gibbs also yielded excellent performance for the statistical mechanics, vector calculus and the electromagnetic theory of light. His Scientific Papers (1906 ) and Collected Works ( 1928) were collected and published after his death.
For the vector analysis Gibbs created a method, the mathematical developments to be materially simplified, the theoretical treatment of Maxwell's electrodynamics in advancing strongly at that time.
He also defined the Gibbs free energy G = U pV -TS at constant temperature and pressure, which is also known as free enthalpy.
Also the Gibbs phenomenon Gibbs paradox, the Gibbs -Duhem equation and the Gibbs - Helmholtz equation are named after him.
The Willard Gibbs Medal of the American Chemical Society bears his name and the Gibbs Lecture of the American Mathematical Society. In addition, the lunar crater Gibbs was named after him.