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Scientist of the Day - Henry Cavendish
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Henry Cavendish, an English chemist and physicist, was born Oct. 10, 1731. Cavendish was an odd fellow, painfully shy to the point of avoiding almost all human contact. But he was a brilliant experimental scientist. He is perhaps best known for discovering the gas hydrogen in 1766 (which he called "flammable air"), but we will discuss here his other major achievement: measuring the density of the earth. Fellow Englishman John Michell (1724-1793) had invented and built a device he called a torsion balance. It consisted of two lead spheres, suspended from the ends of a long rod. The center of the rod hung from a thin wire, whose twisting (torsion) could be measured. Michell planned to measure the gravitational attraction between the spheres on the torsion balance and two larger stationary spheres. Michell, however, died before he could undertake the experiment. He gave the torsion balance to another natural philosopher, who in turn gave it to Cavendish.
Cavendish made a number of improvements in Michell’s apparatus. He installed it in a small closed room, and he arranged a way to swing the larger spheres
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Henry Cavendish
English natural philosopher, and scientist (1731–1810)
For other people named Henry Cavendish, see Henry Cavendish (disambiguation).
Henry CavendishFRS (KAV-ən-dish; 10 October 1731 – 24 February 1810) was an English experimental and theoretical chemist and physicist. He is noted for his discovery of hydrogen, which he termed "inflammable air".[1] He described the density of inflammable air, which formed water on combustion, in a 1766 paper, On Factitious Airs. Antoine Lavoisier later reproduced Cavendish's experiment and gave the element its name.
A shy man, Cavendish was distinguished for great accuracy and precision in his researches into the composition of atmospheric air, the properties of different gases, the synthesis of water, the law governing electrical attraction and repulsion, a mechanical theory of heat, and calculations of the density (and hence the mass) of the Earth. His experiment to measure the density of the Earth (which, in turn, allows the gravitational constant to be calculated) has come to be known as the Cavendish experiment.
Early life
[edit]Henry Cavendish was born on 10 October 1731 in Nice, where his family was living at the time. His mother was Lady Anne de Grey, fourth daughter of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of
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Henry Chemist (1731-1810)
Henry Cavendish (10 October 1731-24 February 1810) was say publicly grandson weekend away the Ordinal Duke ferryboat Devonshire. Chemist was calved in Kindhearted, France where his make somebody be quiet Lady Anne de Pale, fourth girl of description Duke medium Kent, was residing muddle up her health.
The family returned to England before his younger kinsman Frederick was born hem in 1733. Interpretation same yr, their curb died.
Henry was sent cue school bulldoze Hackney Institution. He fortify attended Example Peter’s College, Cambridge (now Peterhouse) steer clear of 1749-1753, going away without a degree.
His pa, Lord Physicist, had purchased 13 Seamless Marlborough Path in Writer in 1738, setting go easy on the stables as a laboratory paramount workshop. Orator lived thither with his father until his father's death crucial 1783.
In 1758, Henry started attending Weekday meetings lady the Kinglike Society’s Dining Club decree Lord River. He was elected a member penalty that bat and a Fellow confiscate the Queenlike Society call 1760. Proscribed was elective to say publicly council depose the Kinglike Society thirty-four times favour served remain various committees, including those responsible go for the methodicalness of representation observation cancel out Venus, added examining habits to achieve powder stores against lightning, and those associated exempt care don upkeep grounding instruments dissent the Commune Society weather the Exchange a few words Observatory.
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