The French physicist and chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850) defined the Gay-Lussac law of uniform thermal expansion of gases, named after him. According to this law, at constant pressure all gases expand by 1/273 of their volume when heated by one degree Celsius. He also developed a system that represents the alcohol content in degrees (°). The amount of pure alcohol in 100 litres of wine is given, measured at 15 °C. This system is still used in the Anglo-American world today, mostly in the abbreviation G.L. The value in degrees corresponds numerically to the volume percent. For a list of the complex of topics, see also Units of Measurement.
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Egon Mark
Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)