The Right Honourable The Lord Kelvin
President of the Royal Society
In office 1890–1895
Preceded by	George Stokes
Succeeded by	Lord Lister
Personal details
Born	(1824-06-26)26 June 1824 Belfast, Ireland
Died	17 December 1907(1907-12-17) (aged 83) Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Nationality	Scots-Irish
Spouse(s)	Margaret Crum (m. 1852; died 1870) Frances Blandy (m. 1874–1907)
Children	none
Residence	Belfast; Glasgow; Cambridge
Signature
Alma mater	Royal Belfast Academical Institution Glasgow University Peterhouse, Cambridge
Known for	Joule–Thomson effect Thomson effect (thermoelectric) Mirror galvanometer Siphon recorder Kelvin material Kelvin water dropper Kelvin wave Kelvin–Helmholtz instability Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism Kelvin–Helmholtz luminosity Kelvin's minimum energy theorem Kelvin transform Absolute zero Kelvin's circulation theorem Stokes' Theorem Kelvin bridge Kelvin sensing Kelvin equation Kelvin-Varley divider Magnetoresistance Coining the term 'kinetic energy'
Awards	First Smith's Prize (1845) Royal Medal (1856) Keith Medal (1864) Matteucci Medal (1876) Albert Medal (1879) Copley Medal (1883) John Fritz Medal (1905)
Scientific career
Institutions	University of Glasgow
Academic advisors	William Hopkins
Notable students	William Edward Ayrton William Murray Morrison
Influences	Sadi Carnot Rudolf Clausius Julius von Mayer James Joule Humphry Davy
Influenced	Andrew Gray
It is believed the "PNP" in his signature stands for "Professor of Natural Philosophy". Kelvin also wrote under the pseudonym "P. Q. R."

William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 1824 – 17 December 1907) was a Scots-Irishmathematical physicist and engineer. He was born in Belfast in 1824. At the University of Glasgow he did important work in the mathematical analysis of electricity and formed the first and second laws of thermodynamics. view more...