G N Lewis and special relativity: A little known side of a great chemist

Nityananda, Rajaram (2019) G N Lewis and special relativity: A little known side of a great chemist. Resonance, 24 (7). pp. 729-734. ISSN 0971-8044

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Abstract

In 1909, Lewis and Tolman, then physical chemists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote a paper which built on an earlier paper by Lewis. This gave a more mechanics-based approach to the subject, in contrast to Einstein’s original work which drew on electrodynamics. This work played a significant role in the early development of special relativity theory, then only four years old and still under heated discussion worldwide. This paper with Tolman, though a relatively minor part of Lewis’s overall work, has historical and pedagogical value and gives a glimpse of his breadth, early growth and influence as a scientist. The present article outlines the arguments of their 1909 paper, and places it in context.

Item Type:	Article
Authors:	Nityananda, Rajaram
Document Language:	Language English
Subjects:	Natural Sciences > History, geographic treatment, biography Natural Sciences > History, geographic treatment, biography > Scientists Natural Sciences > Physics
Divisions:	Azim Premji University - Bengaluru > School of Arts and Sciences
Full Text Status:	None
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/7232
Publisher URL:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-019-0834-0

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