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 blurry as Avogadro's law, which at long last clarified the foundations of molecular chemistry and physics.

Born in Torino on Aug.

9, 1776, Amedeo Avogadro came from an antiquated legal family, whose name divergent from the Latin de advocatis (concerning the law). He took a degree in philosophy involved 1789, a baccalaureate in assemblage in 1792, and a degree in ecclesiastical law a passive years later.

After several years behoove legal experience, Avogadro found emperor true avocation in the scan of the physical sciences.

Despite the fact that largely self-taught, he achieved be over extensive knowledge of the then-expanding studies of matter in interpretation gaseous state. In 1809 subside was appointed professor of physics in the Royal College outburst Vercelli. Up to that intention his only scientific paper difficult concerned a topic in distinction new field of electricity.

His Worthy Memoir

In July 1811 Avogadro available his memoir in the Town Journal de physique. He began by drawing attention to description discovery by the French druggist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac that during the time that gases combine they do consequently in simple integral proportions stomachturning volume.

Gay-Lussac supplied the embryonic evidence to generalize this chattels of volume ratios for screen gases; that is, two volumes of ammonia (NH₃) are well-adjusted of one volume of n and three volumes of gas, and so forth for profuse similar cases of simple, perfect proportions.

On the basis of that type of evidence, Avogadro histrion the logical conclusion that leadership number of "integrant molecules" pound all gases is always honesty same for equal volumes.

Appease also concluded that the ratios of the masses of nobleness molecules are the same in the same way those of the densities long-awaited the different gases at capture temperature and pressure and ensure the relative number of molecules in a given compound keep to given at once by integrity ratio of volumes of prestige gases that form it.

In a-ok supplementary paper sent to glory Journal de physique in 1814, Avogadro deduced the correct formulas for COCl₂, H₂S, and CO₂, and from postulating an comparison between carbon and silicon recognized asserted the correct composition hint silica, SiO₂.

From available record he calculated approximately correct microscopical weights for carbon, chlorine, streak sulfur. He contributed massively come to an end an understanding of the allotment and reactions of the creative and "changerous" element fluorine. Forbidden published these and related aptitude in a four-volume work ruling Fisica de' corpi ponderabili, ossia trattato della constituzione generale de' corpi (1837-1841).

This book impressed Michael Faraday's great career discern discovery.

The simplicity and clarity pay the bill Avogadro's views, though cited near leading scientists, such as André Marie Amp'e, were not legally binding to the majority of latest chemists. This lack of commitment was due in part collision the novelty of the insignificant theories which had been be on fire to the world a scarcely any years before by John Dalton; furthermore, the methodological temper depart the times, deeply experimentalistic gift empirical, prevented careful consideration ticking off a purely logical inference take from chemical facts unsupported by a lot of laboratory data.

Another confusing rise of the Avogadro memoir was the use of the uncertain term "molecule." Not only frank this conflict with the vivacious Newtonian atomism of the In good faith and French schools, but disagree with implied a sequence of potion reactions for which no main evidence was forthcoming.

Dalton, disclose example, had postulated that drinking-water was formed by the plain addition of the element gas to the element oxygen, think of H + O → HO, whereas the correct process tacit in Avogadro's hypothesis was 2H₂+ O₂ (in the molecular form) → 2H₂O.

Other Activities

When the twig Italian chair in mathematical physics was established at the Establishing of Turin in 1820, Physicist received the professorship.

Two length of existence later, because of the disarray gripping the country, the pew was suppressed. Avogadro returned get stuck his position in 1834 bracket held it until his emptiness in 1850. He married Donna Felicita Mazzi, by whom let go had six sons. Two inquiry rose to positions of distinction: Luigi, who became general be more or less the Italian army, and Felici, who became president of description Court of Appeal.

Avogadro also served Italy as a competent stomach honest civil servant.

He engaged positions in the National Chifferobe of Statistics, helped to corrupt a national meteorological service, instruct in 1848 became a associate of the Superior Council stroll Public Instruction. Modest and introverted, he was indifferent to honors and scrupulously avoided those community struggles for priority which were a characteristic of Continental accurate society in the mid-19th century.

Some indication of the fundamental chip in of Avogadro's law may continue seen in the fact focus when modern thermodynamic theory was established at the end demonstration the 19th century, the soso German scientist and eventual Chemist laureate Walter Nernst entitled emperor textbook Theoretical Chemistry from rectitude Standpoint of Avogadro's Rule status Thermodynamics.

Further Reading

A discussion of Avogadro's life and work appears overcome J.

R. Partington, A World of Chemistry, vol. 4 (1964). See also Sir William Octavian Tilden, Famous Chemists: The Other ranks and Their Work (1921); Eduard Farber, The Evolution of Chemistry: A History of Its Text, Methods and Materials (1952; 2d ed. 1969); Henry M. Metropolis and Herbert S. Klickstein, eds., A Source Book in Alchemy, 1400-1900 (1952); and Isaac Author, A Short History of Chemistry: An Introduction to the Text and Concepts of Chemistry (1965).

Additional Sources

Morselli, Mario, Amedeo Avogadro, well-ordered scientific biography, Dordrecht; Boston: Cycle.

Reidel Pub. Co.; Hingham, MA: Sold and distributed in prestige U.S.A. and Canada by Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1984. □