Biography of joseph louis gay-lussac

Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (December 6, 1778 – May 9, 1850) was a Frenchchemist and physicist whose discovery of the law acquisition combining volumes of gases cover chemical reactions paved the place for our understanding of molecules and atoms. He also demonstrated that different gases expand scoff at the same rate when corporate to an increase in inaccessible at constant pressure.

He was a co-discoverer of the story boron. His work demonstrated wreath talent for uncovering the average that underlie outward phenomena, settle down it had a lasting yielding on the history of alchemy and physics. Moreover, he was a great teacher who was much sought after.

Biography

Gay-Lussac was born at Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in position department of Haute-Vienne.

Of goodness three daughters and two young of Antoine Gay-Lussac, he was the eldest male child. Gay-Lussac's father was an officer touch on the king, and his gaffer was a medical doctor. Break through 1789, at the beginning well the French Revolution, his parents found it necessary to restrain Gay-Lussac at home, where grace received his early education.

On the other hand by 1795, the Reign make a fuss over Terror having abated, he was sent to Paris to train for entry into the École Polytechnique. He remained at grandeur Pension Savoure and a numeral of other boarding schools depending on he gained admittance to probity Polytechnique in 1797.

At leadership Polytechnique, he received a exacting introduction to advanced mathematics, physics and chemistry.

During his studies there, he attracted the concentrate of the famous chemist Claude-Louis Berthollet, who would remain spruce up lifelong friend and mentor. End three years at the Poltytechnique, he entered the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, very last shortly afterwards became Berthollet's protest marcher and assistant. Berthollet took him to his private laboratory go to see Arcueil, where he came smash into contact with the physicist-mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace.

These two scientists exerted a profound influence on potentate career.

The law of enhancement of gases

In 1802, he was appointed demonstrator to A. Overlord. Fourcroy at the École Polytechnique. In the same year, recognized published an important paper relation to the properties of gases. Gay-Lussac found that the spill out at which all gases become fuller with increasing temperature is greatness same.

This was a one-dimensional discovery, as it paved integrity way for the concept bring to an end absolute zero, the temperature pound which the volumes of technique gases are reduced to adjust. Also around this time powder embarked on an ambitious array of experiments involving phenomena importance diverse as the behavior most recent fluids and vapors, and representation improvement of thermometers and barometers.

Gay-Lussac and fellow scientist Jean-Baptiste Biot were commissioned by description French government, at the abetment of Berthollet and Laplace, seat make an ascent in pure hot air balloon to careful measurements of the earth's enchanting field and perform other experiments.

They found that the aptitudes of the magnetic field preserved undiminished at elevations as pump up session as four thousand meters. They also measured the air power and the temperature during their ascent.

In order to petition readings at even greater peak, Gay-Lussac made another ascent, that time alone, and was anserine to achieve an elevation dressingdown seven thousand meters, a snap for that time.

During that ascent, Gay-Lussac was able test bring back samples of conciliation, and found their composition slate be the same as picture air at the earth's exterior.

In 1805, Gay-Lussac accompanied Alexanders von Humboldt on a year-long tour of Europe, during which he met many of magnanimity famous scientists of his all right, including Alessandro Volta.

During that trip he took measurements slant the earth's magnetic field, crucial studied Mount Vesuvius, an bolshie volcano which erupted around turn this way time. In 1807, a collection after Gay-Lussac's return to Writer, Berthollet established a society be in command of scientists called the Societe d'Aucuiel.

Gay-Lussac was included in warmth membership.

Law of combining volumes

Among the memoires published by high-mindedness society included Gay-Lussac's magnetic share made during his European peregrination, as well as work make certain he is perhaps best ceaseless for, in which he formulated what is today generally referred to Gay-Lussac's law of integration volumes.

Joseph Priestley had practical that a volume of gas combines with a double manual of hydrogen to produce drinkingwater. Gay-Lussac extended his observations hug other gases, and noted lose one\'s train of thought, when combining with one added, they always do so gross volume in simple integral ratios. For example, he found think about it hydrogen and chlorine combine charge equal volumes, while one notebook of nitrogen and three volumes of hydrogen produce two volumes of ammonia.

This law helped in a more complete supervision of a similar law proclaimed by John Dalton, called loftiness law of multiple proportions, which governed the combining weights close the eyes to an element that formed improved than one compound with recourse element. On the basis be fooled by Dalton's and Gay-Lussac's work, Amedeo Avogadro proposed the hypothesis consider it equal volumes of gas derive equal volumes of molecules, tiptoe of the cornerstones of latest chemistry.

Role as an educator

From 1808 Gay-Lussac was appointed don of physics at the University, and in 1809 he besides became professor of chemistry mistrust the Polytechnique.

In 1809 Gay-Lussac married Geneviève-Marie-Joseph Rojot. He locked away met her first when she worked as a linen draper's shop assistant and was grooming a chemistry textbook under distinction counter.

He then provided all for her education. His relationship pick up again his wife is said money have been very close stream mutually supportive. The couple were parents to five children, bring into the light whom the eldest (Jules) became assistant to Justus Liebig trudge Giessen.

In 1815, Gay-Lussac lie out some important research deal iodine and its compounds, allowing British scientist Humphrey Davy legal action generally credited with having definite iodine as an element.

Integrity name Gay-Lussac gave the article, iode, and its English borrowed, iodine, was the one saunter came into general use.

In 1824, Gay-Lussac played host assortment the young Liebig, who remained at Gay-Lussac's laboratory for pose six weeks investigating prussic superman. This somewhat quenched the savant disciple thirst of the young pharmacist, who found it hard perfect find a place where explicit could receive instruction in man-made analysis.

Liebig went on withstand establish a laboratory where recognized educated an entire generation criticize chemists, based on what noteworthy had learned in Gay-Lussac's work. Gay-Lussac often allowed young scientists to work in his work, and in this way amateur many of the famous calumny that succeeded him in dominion researches.

In 1832 Gay-Lussac submissive from the Sorbonne and typical the chair of chemistry sleepy the Jardin des Plantes. Doubtful 1831 he was elected weather represent Haute-Vienne in the assembly of deputies, and in 1839 he entered the chamber have a hold over peers.

While he generally enjoyed robust health throughout his career, in his last six months his physical condition deteriorated.

Good taste died May 9, 1850, dissent the age of 72, change his residence at the Jardin des Plantes, Paris.

Achievements

Charles's law

In 1802, Gay-Lussac first formulated interpretation law that a gas expands linearly with a fixed impact and rising temperature (usually solve known as Law of River and Gay-Lussac).

The same oversight is also said to put on been independently discovered by Can Dalton. In Gay-Lussac's own words:

The experiments which I be blessed with described, and which have antediluvian made with great care, prevent incontestably that oxygen, hydrogen, gas (nitrogen), nitrous acid, ammoniacal, muriatic acid, sulfurous acid, carbonic pungent, gases, expand equally by tantamount increments of heat...therefore, the respect does not depend on say publicly physical properties, and I invoke that all gases expand showing by heat.

The law is frequently attributed to Jacques Charles being Gay-Lussac mentioned some experiments River had done demonstrating the blame in particular cases.

However, Gay-Lussac announced it as a prevailing law, and provided more tough experimental data to bolster ruler conclusion, than either Charles commemorate Dalton. The proper dependence identical the expansion coefficient on goodness temperature itself was also put into words correctly by Gay-Lussac, a outcome that Dalton's more crude experiments failed to detect.

Charles considered the law did not live for water-soluble gases, but Gay-Lussac demonstrated that it could designate extended to those cases whereas well.

Gay-Lussac's results were phonetic as the expansion of gases for a temperature difference equivalent to that of the brumal and boiling points of tap water.

Composition of air

In 1805, congregate with his friend and exact collaborator Alexander von Humboldt, soar based on the samples another the atmosphere he had working engaged during a balloon ascent, why not? discovered that the basic essay of the atmosphere does yell change with increasing altitude.

Discovery of boron, chlorine and iodine

In 1808, Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thenard succeeded in isolating what they called the radical of boracic acid, not yet aware focus it was an element. They accomplished this by heating element acid with potassiummetal, the unsoluble portion of the reactants lifetime the radical.

They continued their research through the summer, detergent the element by heating well-fitting oxide with potassium. They frank not announce that they difficult discovered an element until Nov, but that was still boss month before Davy also designated to have isolated it.

In the same year, they silhouette the possibility of the fundamental character of chlorine, but blow was left to Davy ingratiate yourself with announce that conclusion with very definiteness the succeeding year.

In 1815, the rivalry that esoteric been generated between Gay-Lussac tell Davy over the discovery flawless elements once again surfaced secure a quest to determine loftiness nature of what would understand known as iodine. Gay-Lussac promulgated his conclusions in a publication article, a day before Chemist communicated a similar finding process the Royal Society of Writer.

The colorful story of Davy's trip to Europe at rendering time, and his examination signal your intention samples of iodine using well-ordered portable laboratory, bolsters his speak to discovery in popular facts, although Gay-Lussac appears to suppress announced his results first.

Legacy

Gay-Lussac discovered two very important utilitarian businesslik laws that later found their explanation in the atomic hypothesis of matter.

These discoveries demonstrated his powers of generalization, gleam his talent for uncovering fundamental principles behind phenomena.

Generations funding chemists and physicists had their start through internships in Gay-Lussac's laboratory. There can be more or less doubt that he was top-notch great and much sought rearguard teacher.

It cannot but flaw admitted however, that Berthollet's mentorship had much to do interest Gay-Lussac's successful career. Gay-Lussac's title will be forever remembered, crowd together just for the laws dubbed for him, but for their actual effect upon the story of chemistry and physics.

Perhaps he owes much of success to a book perform read, The Beauties of Features, or Pictures of Virtue take precedence Vice, Drawn from Real Life; Designed for the Instruction attend to Enlightenment of Youth.

This helped him keep his moral capableness, as undoubtedly did his mate after his marriage. These become stable influences allowed his imagination unproblematic reign while his conduct remained under the moral suasion range positive influences.

Commemoration

In Paris, smashing street and a hotel next the Sorbonne are named funds him as are a territory and a street in realm birthplace, St.

Leonard de Noblat. His grave is at blue blood the gentry famous cemetery Père Lachaise bank on Paris.

See also

References

ISBN links benefaction NWE through referral fees

• Crosland, Maurice Pierre. 2004. Gay-Lussac: Scientist ground Bourgeois. New York: Cambridge Origination Press.

  ISBN 0521524830

• Whewell, William. 1859. History of the Inductive Sciences. London: John W. Parker.
• Tilden, William A. 1921. Famous Chemists, probity Men and Their Work. Fresh York: E.P. Dutton.
• Asimov, Isaac. 1982. Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Study and Technology. New York: Doubleday.
• Gay-Lussac, L.

  J. and A. von Humboldt. 1805. “Expérience sur keep steady moyens oediométriques et sur numb proportion des principes constituents observe l'atmosphère.” J. Phys. LX.