THE LIFE AND WORK OF ANY GREAT SCIENTIST

James Watt is one of the most acclaimed personalities in physics . His work became a helpful contribution during the Industrial Revolution which later became the bedrock of innovation in machineries

He is popularly accredited for his invention of the steam engine . In fact he modified the engine of Thomas Newcomen to the extent that it became a practical , efficient machine capable of application to a variety of industrial tasks

Watt 's engine focused on the conversion of heat to mechanical work . It helped improve the understanding on the efficiency of heat engines

which led to the development of the field of physics called thermodynamics (http /www .newworldencyclopedia .org /entry /James_Watt James Watt was born in Greenock , Scotland on January 19 , 1736 to a chandler and joiner . Throughout his life he suffered serious attacks of migraines and toothaches ,and at school both his peers and teachers took a poor view of this weakness (Porter , Ogilve , 2000 ) He was a thin and weakly child . At grammar school , he fell in love with mathematics , but the recurrent attacks of migraine led him to stop going to school , so he devoted his time working in his father 's workshop instead . Watt felt happy with working in his father 's workshop so much that he did not go back to school

Watt learned carpentry from his father . His father primarily worked in shipbuilding and he taught Watt on how to build ships and crafts . Soon Watt developed great skill in ship navigation , quadrants , telescopes and compasses , and by his mid-teens he wanted to become an instrument maker (Porter , Ogilve , 2000

His father was supportive of him . Unfortunately , there was no opportunity for Watt to train in making instruments in Greenock because there were no instrument-makers there , so on advice , Watt went to Glasgow , Scotland in 1754 , in an attempt to become an apprentice in instrument making . In Glasgow , he worked with an optician and worked as an odd-job man for a year (Porter , Ogilve , 2000

In Glasgow , Watt became acquainted with a scientist named Robert Dick ( HYPERLINK "http /www .newworldencyclopedia .org /entry /James_Watt http /www .egr .msu .edu lira /supp /steam /wattbio .html

Robert Dick , a university scientist , was impressed with Watt 's basic skills and knowledge in instrument making that he advised Watt to further hone his skills in this trade in London

In London , Watt discovered that he could not get an apprenticeship because the instrument makers protected their trade by rules of a body known as the Worshipful Company of Clock-makers . The only employment was for fully-trained instrument makers or trainees serving seven-year apprenticeships . Eventually , he was able to secure a position through unusual conditions . John Morgan , an instrument maker in London , set aside the rules and took him in to be his apprentice on the condition that Watt would be given only a meager salary (http /www .egr .msu .edu lira /supp /steam /wattbio .html

With John Morgan , Watt learned the skills of instrument-making . John Morgan was impressed with Watt that...