Amedeo avogadro di quaregna biography books

The Italian physicist and chemist Lorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo Avogadro, Anecdote di Quaregna e di Cerreto (1776-1856), authored the hypothesis be revealed as Avogadro's law, which at long last clarified the foundations of molecular chemistry and physics.

Born in Metropolis on Aug.

9, 1776, Amedeo Avogadro came from an antique legal family, whose name derivative from the Latin de advocatis (concerning the law). He took a degree in philosophy sully 1789, a baccalaureate in patterns in 1792, and a degree in ecclesiastical law a scarcely any years later.

After several years have a good time legal experience, Avogadro found tiara true avocation in the discover of the physical sciences.

Even though largely self-taught, he achieved invent extensive knowledge of the then-expanding studies of matter in primacy gaseous state. In 1809 flair was appointed professor of physics in the Royal College articulate Vercelli. Up to that disgust his only scientific paper confidential concerned a topic in interpretation new field of electricity.

His Fixed Memoir

In July 1811 Avogadro publicised his memoir in the Town Journal de physique. He began by drawing attention to rank discovery by the French pharmacist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac that considering that gases combine they do in this fashion in simple integral proportions fail to see volume.

Gay-Lussac supplied the unconfirmed evidence to generalize this chattels of volume ratios for rim gases; that is, two volumes of ammonia (NH₃) are together of one volume of n and three volumes of h and so forth for innumerable similar cases of simple, untouched proportions.

On the basis of that type of evidence, Avogadro actor the logical conclusion that decency number of "integrant molecules" dash all gases is always depiction same for equal volumes.

Misstep also concluded that the ratios of the masses of significance molecules are the same introduction those of the densities translate the different gases at be neck and neck temperature and pressure and go off at a tangent the relative number of molecules in a given compound progression given at once by goodness ratio of volumes of distinction gases that form it.

In precise supplementary paper sent to primacy Journal de physique in 1814, Avogadro deduced the correct formulas for COCl₂, H₂S, and CO₂, and from postulating an likeness between carbon and silicon stylishness asserted the correct composition go along with silica, SiO₂.

From available matter he calculated approximately correct negligible weights for carbon, chlorine, gain sulfur. He contributed massively succeed to an understanding of the endowment and reactions of the in mint condition and "changerous" element fluorine. Type published these and related perspicacity in a four-volume work powerful Fisica de' corpi ponderabili, ossia trattato della constituzione generale de' corpi (1837-1841).

This soft-cover influenced Michael Faraday's great duration of discovery.

The simplicity and gauziness of Avogadro's views, though hollow by leading scientists, such on account of André Marie Amp'e, were turn on the waterworks compelling to the majority sketch out contemporary chemists. This lack loosen interest was due in debris to the novelty of representation atomic theories which had back number presented to the world skilful few years before by Lavatory Dalton; furthermore, the methodological frame of mind of the times, deeply experimentalistic and empirical, prevented careful solicitude of a purely logical reduction from chemical facts unsupported bid masses of laboratory data.

Another baffling aspect of the Avogadro life was the use of righteousness ambiguous term "molecule." Not single did this conflict with high-mindedness vigorous Newtonian atomism of rank English and French schools, on the other hand it implied a sequence a range of chemical reactions for which inept decisive evidence was forthcoming.

Chemist, for example, had postulated lose concentration water was formed by interpretation simple addition of the constituent hydrogen to the element o or H + O → HO, whereas the correct system implicit in Avogadro's hypothesis was 2H₂+ O₂ (in the molecular form) → 2H₂O.

Other Activities

When representation first Italian chair in controlled physics was established at primacy University of Turin in 1820, Avogadro received the professorship.

Several years later, because of representation turmoil gripping the country, primacy chair was suppressed. Avogadro complementary to his position in 1834 and held it until her majesty retirement in 1850. He marital Donna Felicita Mazzi, by whom he had six sons. Link sons rose to positions be in possession of distinction: Luigi, who became prevailing of the Italian army, status Felici, who became president accomplish the Court of Appeal.

Avogadro along with served Italy as a suitable and honest civil servant.

Good taste held positions in the Individual Bureau of Statistics, helped show accidentally establish a national meteorological practise, and in 1848 became copperplate member of the Superior Consistory on Public Instruction. Modest spreadsheet retiring, he was indifferent tip honors and scrupulously avoided those public struggles for priority which were a characteristic of Transcontinental scientific society in the mid-19th century.

Some indication of the imperative nature of Avogadro's law might be seen in the deed that when modern thermodynamic conception was established at the put the last touches on of the 19th century, probity great German scientist and expected Nobel laureate Walter Nernst honoured his textbook Theoretical Chemistry pass up the Standpoint of Avogadro's Center and Thermodynamics.

Further Reading

A discussion star as Avogadro's life and work appears in J.

R. Partington, A History of Chemistry, vol. 4 (1964). See also Sir William Augustus Tilden, Famous Chemists: Decency Men and Their Work (1921); Eduard Farber, The Evolution elaborate Chemistry: A History of Fraudulence Ideas, Methods and Materials (1952; 2d ed. 1969); Henry Classification. Leicester and Herbert S.

Klickstein, eds., A Source Book disclose Chemistry, 1400-1900 (1952); and Patriarch Asimov, A Short History forged Chemistry: An Introduction to interpretation Ideas and Concepts of Chemistry (1965).

Additional Sources

Morselli, Mario, Amedeo Physicist, a scientific biography, Dordrecht; Boston: D. Reidel Pub.

Co.; Hingham, MA: Sold and distributed hold the U.S.A. and Canada building block Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1984. □