Liquids having a Specific Heat Higher than Water

Abstract

IN NATURE, vol. xvii. p. 252, it is stated: Hitherto water has been regarded as possessing a greater specific heat than any other body excepting hydrogen. E. Lecker has shown to the Vienna Academy that mixtures of methylic alcohol and water have a specific heat higher than that of water, and accordingly take the second place, &c. Can you spare me a corner to point out that in 1869 the specific heats of some mixtures of ethylic alcohol and water were proved by Dr. A. Dupré and myself to be considerably higher than that of water, e.g. a mixture containing 20 per cent, alcohol, has a specific heat of 104 3, water = 100 (Phil. Trans., 1869, 591; Watts's Diet., 2nd Supplement, 475). Moreover, we especially mentioned “that our experiments furnished the first example of a liquid having a specific heat higher than that of water”. Since 1869 Dr. Dupré has estimated (Proc. Roy. Soc., xx. 336) the specific heats of mixtures of methylic alcohol and water without finding any such mixture to possess a specific heat above that of water.