Why Caloric Theory Survived Count Rumford's Experiments
Background: To read the explanation below it is helpful to have some understanding of the scientific knowledge and hypothesi that were current at the time Count Rumford did his experiments on heat. I have made a precis of the background material in the Goldstein's book "How We Know" for this page.
- Because caloric theory explained better more facts than early kinetic theory of molecules, (pp 110, Goldstiens) "Conflicts between opposing scientific theories [can only be ] resolved if the opponents can agree on a single experiment whose outcome will be accepted as decisive. Far more often the conflict is not so clearcut: each of the opposing theories will have strengths in some areas, weaknesses in others. Which theory particular scientists will adopt [if they do] will depend on which facts they think are important and which they think can be ignored, or of little consequence, obviously a highly subjective judgment.
- Caloric theory explained how heat could travel thru a vacuum, motion of atoms as heat could not. To try to hold on to the molecular hypothesis, Rumford (and others) tried two different types of heat: vibrations of the material atoms and the other a vibration of the 'ether of space'. The second kind complicates the situation compared with having just one caloric atom. And vibrations of the ether is both a complication and a very astral sort of thing, really sounding unlikely. So by the principle of parismony (Occam's razor) caloric was the preferred explanation compared with molecular motion to explain heat phenomena of all sorts.