Vibrational Specific Heat of Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

LAST year I reported on measurements of the velocity of high frequency sound in carbon dioxide at room temperature,¹ the results of which—namely, increasing sound velocity with increase of frequencies from 1 to 6 × 10⁵ hz.—could be interpreted quantitatively by assuming a definite life-period for oscillation quanta and, resulting from it, an imperfect adjustment of thermal equilibrium in the case of quickly altering conditions, which circumstance is observed as an apparent diminution of vibrational specific heat. Recently Eucken, Mücke, Becker,² and P. S. H. Henry ³ have interpreted similarly the measurements of the vibrational specific heat of diatomic gases, for, if carried out by means of the Lummer-Pringsheim or the sound velocity method, they obtain almost always results lower than those which according to theory may be expected.