Boltzmann Ludwig

Boltz·mann

(bôlts′män′), Ludwig 1844-1906.

Austrian physicist who developed statistical mechanics, the branch of physics that explains how the properties of atoms (such as mass and structure) determine the visible properties of matter (such as viscosity and heat conduction). Through his investigations of thermodynamics, Boltzmann developed numerous theories about the laws governing atomic motion and energy.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.