The laws of thermodynamics may be regarded as particular cases of more general laws, applicable to all such states of matter as constitute Energy, or the capacity to perform work, which more general laws form the basis of the science of energetics, — a science comprehending, as special branches, the theories of motion, heat, light, electricity, and all other physical phenomena.

— William John Macquorn Rankine A Manual of the Steam Engine and other Prime Movers (1859)

Source and credibility

Wikiquote does not flag this quote as disputed or misattributed.

Source: in A Manual of the Steam Engine and other Prime Movers (1859), p. 31
Work: A Manual of the Steam Engine and other Prime Movers, 1859
Source quality: Precise citation Points to a specific work with a page, chapter, date or similar locator, so you can look it up.

On the Harmony of Theory and Practice in Mechanics (1856)

Outlines of the Science of Energetics (1855)

Introductory Lecture on the Harmony of Theory and Practice in Mechanics (1856)

On the Harmony of Theory and Practice in Mechanics (1856)

Manual of Applied Mechanics (1858)

On the Harmony of Theory and Practice in Mechanics (1856)

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: William John Macquorn Rankine (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.