On This Day in Science History - December 30 - Robert Boyle
December 30th marks the passing of Robert Boyle. Boyle was an
Irish chemist who made a significant contribution away from the
alchemical idea of Aristotle's four elements to the atomic model of
elements. He argued elements consisted of 'corpuscles' (atoms) instead
of the four traditional elements of earth, air, fire and water. He also
proposed nature could be broken down and described as a set of simple
mathematical laws.
He also worked extensively with gases, especially with low pressure or 'rarefied airs' and vacuums. He demonstrated that vacuum can exist in nature, sound cannot travel though it, and animals cannot live without air. These experiments led to Boyle's ideal gas law where a gas at constant temperature will have changes in pressure inversely proportional to changes in volume containing the gas.
Boyle was also one of the founding members of the Royal Society that formed from a group of science and mathematically inclined people who met on a weekly basis in London and Oxford. He was elected president of the Society in 1680, but turned them down because the oath of office disagreed with his religious principles.
He also worked extensively with gases, especially with low pressure or 'rarefied airs' and vacuums. He demonstrated that vacuum can exist in nature, sound cannot travel though it, and animals cannot live without air. These experiments led to Boyle's ideal gas law where a gas at constant temperature will have changes in pressure inversely proportional to changes in volume containing the gas.
Boyle was also one of the founding members of the Royal Society that formed from a group of science and mathematically inclined people who met on a weekly basis in London and Oxford. He was elected president of the Society in 1680, but turned them down because the oath of office disagreed with his religious principles.
Comments
Post a Comment