Charles Cagniard de la Tour, French physicist and engineer (d. 1859)
Baron Charles Cagniard de la Tour (31 March 1777 – 5 July 1859) was a French engineer and physicist. Charles Cagniard was born in Paris, and after attending the École Polytechnique became one of the ingénieurs géographiques. He examined the mechanism of voice-production, invented a blowing machine and contributed to acoustics by inventing an improved siren. He also studied yeast.
In 1822, he discovered the critical point of a substance in his gun barrel experiments. Listening to discontinuities in the sound of a rolling flint ball in a sealed gun barrel filled with fluids at various temperatures, he observed the critical temperature. Above this temperature, the densities of the liquid and gas phases become equal and the distinction between them disappears, resulting in a single supercritical fluid phase.He was made a baron in 1818, and died in Paris. Despite several claims to the contrary, no portraits of Baron Cagniard de la Tour exist.
1777Mar, 31
Charles Cagniard de la Tour
Choose Another Date
Events on 1777
- 8Mar
American Revolutionary War
Regiments from Ansbach and Bayreuth, sent to support Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, mutiny in the town of Ochsenfurt. - 13Jun
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
American Revolutionary War: Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette lands near Charleston, South Carolina, in order to help the Continental Congress to train its army. - 31Jul
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
The U.S. Second Continental Congress passes a resolution that the services of Gilbert du Motier "be accepted, and that, in consideration of his zeal, illustrious family and connexions, he have the rank and commission of major-general of the United States." - 19Sep
First Battle of Saratoga
American Revolutionary War: British forces win a tactically expensive victory over the Continental Army in the First Battle of Saratoga. - 27Sep
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
American Revolutionary War: Lancaster, Pennsylvania becomes the capital of the United States, for one day after the Second Continental Congress evacuates Philadelphia to avoid invading British forces.