There is no sign, however, of what is often referred to in modern glassware catalogues as the Berzelius beaker. There are flasks and ‘ burettes’, pumps and analytical apparatus, with detailed descriptions of how to use them. By 1830 the text had grown to eight volumes, the last being a mini encyclopaedia of chemical terms and apparatus, with a dozen pull-out illustrations tucked in at the end. The book would be widely translated and run to many editions. We take for granted many words he coined, among them isomer, catalyst and polymer His text aimed to codify chemistry at many levels – theoretical, observational and practical. She remained in post until Berzelius married in 1836. Berzelius cranked out publications – introducing letter symbols for the elements and the modern reaction equation – and a new textbook of chemistry. He was partnered in the lab by his housekeeper Anna Sundström who also supervised his students. Although Humphry Davy was doing parallel (and spectacular) work in London, Berzelius would develop an important ‘dualistic’ theory linking charges, salts, acids and bases.īerzelius worked manically across all areas of chemistry. Together, they electrolysed a wide range of salts, both molten and in solution, publishing an initial paper in 1803. He now lived in a house owned by the mine-owner Wilhelm Hisinger who didn’t mind him doing experiments on the premises. Returning to the university, Berzelius wrote a thesis describing his mostly unsuccessful application of galvanism (electricity) in the treatment of a variety of chronic ailments. An Italian glassblower, Jusua Vaccano, gave him lessons and in doing so completely transformed his approach to chemistry. This turned out to be a godsend for Berzelius. Fortuitously, in the summer of 1799 an uncle who didn’t want the young man hanging around arranged an apprenticeship at a local pharmacist. He made (and inhaled) nitrous oxide, became a master of the blowpipe and built a Voltaic pile of 60 zinc and copper discs. He set up a lab at home and successfully repeated Carl Wilhelm Scheele’s preparation of oxygen, delighting in the flame on his splint. This did not stop him from teaching himself chemistry. His penury meant that he could not take the course in chemistry given by Anders Gustav Ekeberg, the discoverer of tantalum: ‘I had to forsake that for which I could not pay.’ Home experiments Berzelius chose to study medicine, which would guarantee him an income but also keep him close to natural history. He eventually went to university, in Uppsala, Sweden. Idyllic though this sounds, money was short and he worked as tutor-farmhand to support himself. This continued in secondary school where, with the support of an enthusiastic teacher, he built up a big collection of insects and birds. Berzelius seems to have dealt with his loneliness by exploring the nearby forests. His father, a schoolteacher, died when he was four and his mother died a few years later. Utterly delighted, I didn’t give the note much thought, but instead dived into the books, delighting in the tables of densities and giggling at observations of the tastes of different salts (‘the sulphate of yttria tastes like sugar’).īerzelius is one of the towering figures of 19th century chemistry, a man who helped to solidify Antoine Lavoisier’s vision of the elements and who worked to systematise chemistry at all levels, not least by trying to rationalise measurement, inventing nomenclature and developing and codifying glassware. Several years ago an old family friend in Italy sent me a four-volume set of Jöns Jakob Berzelius’ Textbook of Chemistry that she had recently inherited from her brother with a card saying ‘Only you can truly appreciate these’. Graduations are approximate and not intended for accurate liquid measurement.Swedish chemist considered one of the founders of modern chemistry Made of high-quality borosilicate glass that can be heated directly in an open flame and withstand thermal shock, Pyrex® beakers are primarily used for mixing and heating. Choose the right size for your lab needs, ranging from 50 ml to 2000 ml. Pyrex® beakers are the science industry standard worldwide.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |