Editing Caloric theory (section)

{{short description|Obsolete scientific theory of heat flow}}

The '''caloric theory''' is an [[obsolete scientific theory]] that [[heat]] consists of a self-repellent [[fluid]] called '''caloric''' that flows from hotter bodies to colder bodies.  Caloric was also thought of as a weightless [[gas]] that could pass in and out of pores in solids and liquids. The "caloric theory" was superseded by the mid-19th century in favor of the [[mechanical theory of heat]], but nevertheless persisted in some scientific literature—particularly in more popular treatments—until the end of the 19th century.<ref>The 1880 edition of [[A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar#Caloric_theory|A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar]], a 19th century educational science book, explained heat transfer in terms of the flow of caloric.</ref>