Chemistry
Chemists
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier: 1743-1794
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier was a French philosopher and chemist that wanted to understand the mystery of nature around him. He was known for his studies the consistency of air and determination of the weights of the reactants and products of chemical reactions. Lavoisier was extremely passionate about science and his early work was mostly geology related. His early work gained him recognition in the science community, which led to his election to the Academy of Sciences, France’s most elite scientific society.
Lavoisier had a belief that the” weight of reactants and products in a reaction didn’t change overall in a reaction, which led to the idea of the law of conservation of mass” (Chemical Heritage Foundation). Lavoisier studied natural chemical reactions including combustion and respiration of the air. Lavoisier created definite proof that water was composed of only hydrogen and oxygen. Lavoisier’s work was significant because it was a profound understanding of the air that surrounds the plant. His contributions led to more experiments and studies by other scientists on the importance of air and life.
John Dalton: 1766-1784
John Dalton was an English lecturer and teacher that taught at a Quaker boarding school for 10 years. Dalton eventually left this position to teach at the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society that provided him an intellectual environment he never experienced before. The facilities and equipment available to him gave him resources to experiment on theories and ideas.
Dalton published a book called New System of Chemical Philosophy in which contained his theories on atomic weights, partial pressures of gases, and the differences in gases volume and pressure.Dalton believed that there was an unknown repulsion between atoms that created pressure and lead to differences in weight. Dalton used his ideas of compound composition to create a system to “determine the atomic weight of molecules and compounds” (Weisstein). Dalton’s system guided him to the conclusion that the repulsion forces present in chemical reactions cause pressure between atoms and therefore atoms are in motion. This theory falsified the notion that atoms were in simple layers and never moved during a chemical reaction. Dalton’s Atomic Theory was a significant scientific contribution because it created the foundation for future studies in understanding gas composition and gas behaviors in chemical reactions. Dalton’s theories on gas particles lead to its true discovery and imaging from modern technology.
Dalton’s Atomic Theory: 1808-1827
1) All matter is made of atoms. Atoms are indivisible and indestructible.
2) All atoms of a given element are identical in mass and properties
3) Compounds are formed by a combination of two or more different kinds of atoms.
4) A chemical reaction is a rearrangement of atoms.
(Chemical Heritage Foundation)
Amedeo Avagrado: 1776-1865
Amedeo Avagrado, an Italian chemist, believed that equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure would have the same number of molecules, 6.02 x 10^23 molecules. Avagrado’s studied that the molecular weights of gases are the same as the “ratio of the densities of the gases under the same conditions” (Chemical Heritage Foundation). This thought process lead to the idea that the molecular mass of a gas sample can be derived from the known mass of a sample. Gases are not single atoms but compounds of two or more atoms. The discovery of Avagrado’s infamous constant number is revolutionary in understanding the consistency of gases. The idea that gases can be similar in ratio while under the same conditions makes future testing and experimentation more plausible in understanding gas reactions.
Robert Boyle: 1627-1691
Robert Boyle was an Irish scientist that spent four years studying experimentation at Oxford University. Boyle studied and read the theories of his colleagues and this stimulated his firm belief in observation, experimentation, and logical thinking. Boyle played an influential role in the founding of the Royal Society, a society that funds and nurtures scientific inquiry.
Boyle’s is regarded by many as the first modern day chemist because he was a famous scientist that performed controlled experiments, drew well thought out conclusions, and published his detailed work for the rest of the scientific society. Boyle’s most well known work is his Boyle’s Law Theory in 1662. Boyle’s Law states that if the “volume of a gas is decreased, then the pressure increases proportionally at constant temperature” (Macintosh). Some of Boyle’s other work includes his modern definition of an element and the creation of the litmus test to identify acids and bases in chemical reactions. Boyle’s legacy in the scientific field is noteworthy because his infamous discovery of the inverse relationship between pressure and volume of gases gives society a basic understanding of gases. Society uses Boyle’s Law in doing every day activities including blowing up a balloon, changing the pressure of a syringe, and flying at high altitudes.
Works Cited
Chemical Heritage Foundation. “Amedeo Avogadro.” Homepage of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2010. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/the-path-to-the-periodic-table/avogadro.aspx>.
Chemical Heritage Foundation. “Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier.” Homepage of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Chemical Heritage Foundation. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. <http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/early-chemistry-and-gases/lavoisier.aspx>.
Chemical Heritage Foundation. “John Dalton.” Homepage of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2010. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in- history/themes/the-path-to-the-periodic-table/dalton.aspx>.
David, J. (2005). Antoine Lavoisier. [Web image]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Antoine_laurent_lavoisier.jpg. Available under Attribution.
Kerseboom, J. (1689). Portrait of Robert Boyle. [Oil Portrait]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Robert_Boyle_0001.jpg. Available under public domain.
MacIntosh, J. J. “Robert Boyle.” Stanford University. Stanford University, 15 Jan. 2002. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/boyle/>.
Roscoe, H. (1895). John Dalton at Desk. [Engraving of a painting]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Dalton_John_desk.jpg. Available under Attribution.
Smith, E. F. (1901). Amedeo Avogrado. [Picture of Amedeo Avogrado]. Retrieved from http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in- history/themes/the-path-to-the-periodic-table/avogadro.aspx. Available under Attribution- Sharealike.
Weisstein, Eric W. “Dalton, John (1766-1844) — from Eric Weisstein’s World of Scientific Biography.” Dalton, John (1766-1844). Wolfram Research, 2007. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. <http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Dalton.html>.
Katie Trinh