John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh

Quick facts

Born

12 November 1842 wd

Place of birth

Langford Grove wd

Died

30 June 1919 wd

Place of death

Terling Place wd

Citizenship

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland wd

Occupation

physicist, politician, university teacher, mathematician, chemist wd

Education

Harrow School, Trinity College, Eton College, University of Cambridge wd

Spouse

Evelyn Strutt, Baroness Rayleigh of Terling Place wd

Positions held wd

• chairperson (1919–1919)
• Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1908–1919)
• Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom (since 1905)
• President of the Royal Society (1905–1908)
• Lord Lieutenant of Essex (2 February 1892 – 1 August 1901)
• director (1879–1884)
• president (1876–1876)
• member of the House of Lords (14 June 1873 – 30 June 1919)

Awards wd

• Nobel Prize in Physics (1904)
• Fellow of the Royal Society (1873)
• Copley Medal (1899)
• Faraday Lectureship Prize (1895)
• Leconte Prize (1895)
• Royal Medal (1882)
• Elliott Cresson Medal (1913)
• De Morgan Medal (1890)
• Rumford Medal (1920)
• Matteucci Medal (1894)
• Albert Medal (1905)
• Royal Society Bakerian Medal (1902)
• Bressa Prize (1891)
• Order of Merit (1902)
• Smith's Prize (1865)

About

In 1871, Rayleigh published the first theoretical treatment of the elastic scattering of light by particles much smaller than the light's wavelength, a phenomenon now known as Rayleigh scattering, which notably explains why the sky is blue. He studied and described transverse surface waves in solids, now known as Rayleigh waves. He contributed extensively to fluid dynamics, with concepts such as the Rayleigh number (a dimensionless number associated with natural convection), Rayleigh flow, the Rayleigh–Taylor instability, and Rayleigh's criterion for the stability of Taylor–Couette flow.

Rayleigh also formulated the circulation theory of aerodynamic lift. In optics, he proposed a well-known criterion for angular resolution. His derivation of the Rayleigh–Jeans law for classical black-body radiation later played an important role in the birth of quantum mechanics (see ultraviolet catastrophe). His textbook, The Theory of Sound (1877), is still used today by acousticians and engineers. He introduced the Rayleigh test for circular non-uniformity, which the Rayleigh plot visualises.

Rayleigh served as President of the Royal Society from 1905 to 1908, and as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1908 until his death in 1919.

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Questions

When was John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh born?

John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh was born on 12 November 1842 in Langford Grove.

What positions has John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh held?

Positions held by John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh include: chairperson (1919–1919); Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1908–1919); Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom (since 1905); President of the Royal Society (1905–1908); Lord Lieutenant of Essex (1892–1901).

Where did John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh study?

John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh was educated at Harrow School, Trinity College, Eton College, University of Cambridge.

Sources

1. Wikipedia (English): John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh · CC BY-SA 4.0
2. Wikidata item Q83297 · CC0 1.0
3. Image: John William Strutt.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)

Last updated 31 October 2026 · facts checked 3 November 2026

Cite this page

"John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/john-william-strutt-3rd-baron-rayleigh. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

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