Rudolf Clausius
1822–1888, Köslin, Prussia, Bonn, Germany
Thermal physicsClassical statistical mechanics
German physicist who formulated the second law of thermodynamics and introduced the concept of entropy.
Clausius was one of the founders of modern thermodynamics. In 1850 he stated a version of the second law: heat does not spontaneously flow from a colder to a hotter body without external work. In 1865 he coined the term 'entropy' and stated that the entropy of the universe always tends to increase — one of the deepest and most general statements in classical physics.
Workplaces: ETH Zurich, University of Bonn
Germany