Alexander Rankine facts for kids

Alexander Oliver Rankine OBE FRS (born December 8, 1881 – died January 20, 1956) was a clever British physicist. He studied how gases flow, how tiny molecules move, and how light and sound work. He also worked on geophysics, which is the study of Earth's physical features.

Amazing Career Highlights

Rankine helped the government during both World Wars. He worked on ways to find submarines and developed systems to clear fog from airport runways. He studied and taught physics at important universities like University College London and Imperial College London.

He is best known for the Trouton–Rankine experiment in 1908. But he also created early devices to send sound using light. He improved tools like the gravimeter (which measures gravity) and the magnetometer (which measures magnetic fields). Later in his career, he worked for a big oil company. He was also a leader in many science groups, like the Physical Society.

Early Life and Education

Alexander Oliver Rankine was born on December 8, 1881, in Guildford, England. His father was a Baptist minister from Scotland. Alexander grew up in the Baptist Church, just like his parents.

He went to the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. Then he studied physics at University College London (UCL) and graduated with top honors in 1904. After graduating, he worked as an assistant in the UCL physics department. He stayed there until 1919, except for a time when he did research during the war. In 1907, he married Ruby Irene Short. They had two sons and two daughters.

University Work and World War I

While at UCL, Rankine worked with a physicist named Frederick Thomas Trouton. In 1908, they did the Trouton–Rankine experiment. This experiment was one of many trying to test the idea of "aether theory" against Albert Einstein's special relativity. Their experiment showed a "null result," which meant it supported Einstein's new theory.

In 1910, Rankine earned his D.Sc. degree in Physics. Two years later, in 1912, he became a fellow of University College. During this time, he studied how thick gases are (their viscosity). He even invented a tool called the Rankine viscosimeter. This tool helped him figure out the size and shape of gas molecules.

During World War I, many scientists helped with war research. Rankine worked on finding submarines in 1917 and 1918. He worked for the Admiralty Research Laboratory in different places like Aberdour and Harwich. His work helped develop technology to detect submarines.

Rankine also researched how to send sound using light. This was similar to the photophone invented by Alexander Graham Bell years earlier. His work was so good that it was mentioned in Popular Science magazine in 1922. For his important work during World War I, he was given the OBE award in 1919.

Imperial College and Earth Science

After the war, Rankine was known for his work in many areas, including how molecules move, how sound works, and electromagnetics. In 1919, he became a Professor of Physics at Imperial College. He also wrote an article about 'Sound' for the Encyclopædia Britannica in 1922.

From 1925 to 1931, Rankine also led the Technical Optics Department at Imperial College. He later became interested in geophysics, which is the study of Earth's physical properties. From 1927, he advised the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. In 1934, he helped start the School of Applied Geophysics at Imperial College. He improved tools like the Eötvös gravimeter and built a very sensitive magnetometer.

In 1937, Rankine left Imperial College to work full-time for the oil company. He traveled to Persia (now Iran) for his work. When he left, his colleagues wrote a fun rhyme about him:

If Rankine prefers travel
To academic toil,
No one of us will cavil,
At the fact that he's struck oil.

He remained an Emeritus Professor of Physics at Imperial College until he died.

Science Groups and Leadership

Rankine was a very active member of many science groups throughout his life. In 1925, he joined the Royal Institution. He was also involved with the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS). He served as a leader for the Physical Society and the Institute of Physics. He was also president of the Optical Society.

One of his last big roles was secretary to the Royal Institution from 1945 to 1953.

Awards and Special Honors

Besides his OBE, Rankine received other special honors:

• In 1932, he was asked to give the famous Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. His lectures were titled 'The Round of the Waters'.
• In 1934, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists.
• In 1949, he gave the Guthrie Lecture, where he talked about 'Experimental Studies in Thermal Convection'.

World War II and Later Life

During World War II, Rankine again worked for the government. He helped develop the FIDO system. This amazing system used heat to clear fog from military runways.

He worked on the design and tested it in wind tunnels. The FIDO system was very important and helped save the lives of many pilots and aircrews during the war.

After the war, Rankine went back to work for the oil company for a few years. He retired from full-time work in 1947 but continued as an advisor until 1954. Alexander Rankine passed away at age 74 on January 20, 1956.

Personal Life

Rankine was married and had four children: David (born 1911), Peter (born 1911), Jean (born 1917), and Betty. He died in 1956 when he was 74 years old.

Selected Works

• Discussion on vision (A.O. Rankine, Allan Ferguson; The University Press, 1932)
• F.I.D.O. investigation wind tunnel experiments (A. O. Rankine, Petroleum Warfare Department, 1945)