A note on the measurement of the specific heats of gases
1. In a recent paper P. M. S. Blackett, P. S. H. Henry and E. K. Rideal have described a new continuous flow method of comparing the specific heats of gases. The method, which appears to have important advantages over existing methods, is based on the simple principle that the flow of a gas through a tube modifies any thermal gradient which may by any means be maintained along the tube. The temperature is raised or lowered according as the gas flows in or opposite to the direction of decreasing temperature. The alteration of the temperature is determined by the thermal conductivity KA of the tubewalls, the rate of flow of gas ( q ) along the tube, and the specific heat σ of the gas (at constant pressure) per unit volume ; hence it may be used to determine the latter. The application of this principle as made in the new method (here referred to as the BHR method) is discussed in detail in a separate paper by P. M. S. Blackett and P. S. H. Henry. The object of the present note is to suggest a rather different application of the principle, which in some ways (though not for all purposes) seems more convenient and accurate than the BHR method. The theory of the suggested application will first be worked out in an approximate form, leaving certain detailed corrections to be discussed later (§ 13).