Article
Article
Thomson effect
Article By:
Stewart, John W. Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Last reviewed:January 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.693700
A phenomenon discovered in 1854 by William Thomson (Lord Kelvin). He found that there occurs a reversible transverse heat flow into or out of a conductor of a particular metal, the direction depending upon whether a longitudinal electric current flows from colder to warmer metal or from warmer to colder. Any temperature gradient previously existing in the conductor is thus modified if a current is turned on. The Thomson effect does not occur in a current-carrying conductor which is initially at uniform temperature.
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