“It is possible to express the laws of thermodynamics in the form of independent principles , deduced by induction from the facts of observation and experiment, without reference to any hypothesis as to the occult molecular operations with which the sensible phenomena may be conceived to be connected; and that course will be followed in the body of the present treatise. But, in giving a brief historical sketch of the progress of thermodynamics, the progress of the hypothesis of thermic molecular motions cannot be wholly separated from that of the purely inductive theory.” GivingMayFactsBodyFormLawCoursesPrinciplesProgressTheoryIndependentHistoricalConnectedExperimentsObservationOperationsPhenomenonSensibleHypothesisOccultThermodynamics Book:A Manual of the Steam Engine and Other Prime Movers by William John Macquorn Rankine Source: A Manual of the Steam Engine and Other Prime Movers by William John Macquorn Rankine
“A hypothetical theory is necessary, as a preliminary step, to reduce the expression of the phenomena to simplicity and order before it is possible to make any progress in framing an abstractive theory.” OrderStepsProgressExpressionTheorySimplicityHypotheticalFraming Book:Miscellaneous Scientific Papers Source: Miscellaneous Scientific Papers
