Carnot and the Archetype of Waterfalls
Carnot treats Heat as a Force of Nature, with its typical fundamental characteristics of intensity and thermal tension (temperature and temperature difference), extension (amount of heat, i.e., caloric), and power. To suggest how the three aspects are related, he applies the imagery of waterfalls to...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Entropy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/26/12/1066 |
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| author | Hans U. Fuchs Elisabeth Dumont Federico Corni |
| author_facet | Hans U. Fuchs Elisabeth Dumont Federico Corni |
| author_sort | Hans U. Fuchs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Carnot treats Heat as a Force of Nature, with its typical fundamental characteristics of intensity and thermal tension (temperature and temperature difference), extension (amount of heat, i.e., caloric), and power. To suggest how the three aspects are related, he applies the imagery of waterfalls to causative thermal processes: heat powers motion in a heat engine just as falling water does when activating rotation in a water wheel. We understand Carnot’s waterfall imagery as an archetype of human reasoning—as an embodiment of how we experience and understand causative (agentive) phenomena. We project it onto the macroscopic phenomena identified in physical science and so unlock the power of analogical structure mapping between theories of fluids, electricity and magnetism, heat, substances, gravity, and linear and rotational motion. In particular, the notion of (motive) power of a waterfall lets us create imaginative explanations of the interactions of Forces of Nature and helps us construct a generalized energy principle. Two-hundred years after Carnot made us aware of it, his Waterfall Analogy is a powerful example of theory construction with roots deep in how we experience phenomena as caused by natural agents. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e5a9f07837544f80a2c03009789092c0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1099-4300 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Entropy |
| spelling | doaj-art-e5a9f07837544f80a2c03009789092c02025-08-20T02:00:27ZengMDPI AGEntropy1099-43002024-12-012612106610.3390/e26121066Carnot and the Archetype of WaterfallsHans U. Fuchs0Elisabeth Dumont1Federico Corni2Center for Narrative in Science, 8400 Winterthur, SwitzerlandSchool of Engineering, Zurich University of Applied Sciences at Winterthur, 8401 Winterthur, SwitzerlandFaculty of Education, Free University of Bolzano, 39042 Bressanone, ItalyCarnot treats Heat as a Force of Nature, with its typical fundamental characteristics of intensity and thermal tension (temperature and temperature difference), extension (amount of heat, i.e., caloric), and power. To suggest how the three aspects are related, he applies the imagery of waterfalls to causative thermal processes: heat powers motion in a heat engine just as falling water does when activating rotation in a water wheel. We understand Carnot’s waterfall imagery as an archetype of human reasoning—as an embodiment of how we experience and understand causative (agentive) phenomena. We project it onto the macroscopic phenomena identified in physical science and so unlock the power of analogical structure mapping between theories of fluids, electricity and magnetism, heat, substances, gravity, and linear and rotational motion. In particular, the notion of (motive) power of a waterfall lets us create imaginative explanations of the interactions of Forces of Nature and helps us construct a generalized energy principle. Two-hundred years after Carnot made us aware of it, his Waterfall Analogy is a powerful example of theory construction with roots deep in how we experience phenomena as caused by natural agents.https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/26/12/1066CarnotWaterfall Analogyheat enginesthermal tensioncaloricpower |
| spellingShingle | Hans U. Fuchs Elisabeth Dumont Federico Corni Carnot and the Archetype of Waterfalls Entropy Carnot Waterfall Analogy heat engines thermal tension caloric power |
| title | Carnot and the Archetype of Waterfalls |
| title_full | Carnot and the Archetype of Waterfalls |
| title_fullStr | Carnot and the Archetype of Waterfalls |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carnot and the Archetype of Waterfalls |
| title_short | Carnot and the Archetype of Waterfalls |
| title_sort | carnot and the archetype of waterfalls |
| topic | Carnot Waterfall Analogy heat engines thermal tension caloric power |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/26/12/1066 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hansufuchs carnotandthearchetypeofwaterfalls AT elisabethdumont carnotandthearchetypeofwaterfalls AT federicocorni carnotandthearchetypeofwaterfalls |