Atwater-Rosa calorimeter

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June 18, 2026

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The Atwater-Rosa calorimeter was developed by American scientist Wilbur Olin Atwater and E.B. Rosa. This device was crucial in the fields of agricultural chemistry and nutrition science. It was instrumental in proving the law of conservation of energy within human beings.1

The calorimeter allowed for the calculation of the caloric values of various foods, a system that remains in use globally. A calorimeter, in general, is a device used to measure the heat generated by a reaction or to determine the heat capacity of materials. A common type, the bomb calorimeter, involves a reaction vessel surrounded by a liquid that absorbs heat, causing a measurable temperature increase.12

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Wilbur Olin Atwater
…physics at Wesleyan, constructed the Atwater-Rosa calorimeter (1892–97), which proved the law of conservation of energy in human beings and made it possible to calculate the caloric values of different foods. The system for determing caloric values that Atwater devised in 1896 continues to be used throughout the world.
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…physics at Wesleyan, constructed the Atwater-Rosa calorimeter (1892–97), which proved the law of conservation of energy in human beings and made it possible to calculate the caloric values of different foods. The system for determing caloric values that Atwater devised in 1896 continues to be used throughout the world.
Read More