William Giauque
Canadian-born American chemist (1895–1982)
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Through Matter and Absolute zero
Biography
William Francis Giauque was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on May 12, 1895.
His father (William Tecumseh Giauque) was an American citizen, and so William Francis Giauque was conferred American citizenship, despite being born in Canada,
In 1926, he proposed a method for observing temperatures considerably below 1 Kelvin (1 K is −457.87 °F or −272.15 °C). He developed a magnetic refrigeration device of his own design in order to achieve this outcome, getting closer to absolute zero than many scientists had thought possible. This trailblazing work, apart from proving one of the fundamental laws of nature led to stronger steel, better gasoline and more efficient processes in a range of industries.
Giauque was elected a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1936, a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1940, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1950.
Personal life
In 1932, Giauque married Dr. Muriel Frances Ashley and they had two sons. He died on March 28, 1982, in Berkeley, California.