Davy, Sir Humphry

Davy, Sir Humphry
born Dec. 17, 1778, Penzance, Cornwall, Eng.
died May 29, 1829, Geneva, Switz.

English chemist.

By his early 20s his work on gases had established his reputation. His discovery of the anesthetic effect of nitrous oxide in 1799 was a major contribution to surgery. He also did early research on voltaic cells and batteries, tanning, electrolysis, and mineral analysis. In Elements of Agricultural Chemistry (1813) he became the first to apply chemical principles systematically to farming. He was the first to isolate potassium, sodium, barium, strontium, magnesium, and calcium; he also discovered boron and studied chlorine and iodine extensively. He analyzed many pigments and proved that diamond is a form of carbon. He was one of the greatest exponents of the scientific method. His research on mine explosions and flame and his invention of the safety lamp brought him great prestige, and in 1820 he was made president of the Royal Society of London.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Davy, Sir Humphry — (16 jun. 1806, Ottery, Devon, Inglaterra–26 ene. 1885, Malmsbury, Queensland, Australia). Químico Inglés. A los 20 años ya se había forjado una reputación por su trabajo sobre los gases. En 1799, su descubrimiento del efecto anestésico del óxido… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Davy,Sir Humphry — Da·vy (dāʹvē), Sir Humphry. 1778 1829. British chemist who was a pioneer of electrochemistry, using its methods to isolate sodium and potassium (1807) and barium, boron, calcium, and magnesium (1808). * * * …   Universalium

  • Davy, Sir Humphry, Baronet — ▪ British chemist Introduction born Dec. 17, 1778, Penzance, Cornwall, Eng. died May 29, 1829, Geneva  English chemist who discovered several chemical elements (including sodium and potassium) and compounds, invented the miner s safety lamp, and… …   Universalium

  • Davy , Sir Humphry — (1778–1829) British chemist The son of a small landowner and wood carver, Davy went to school in his native town of Penzance and in Truro. At the age of 17 he was apprenticed to an apothecary and surgeon with a view to qualifying in medicine. He… …   Scientists

  • DAVY, SIR HUMPHRY —    a great English chemist, born at Penzance; conceived early in life a passion for the science in which he made so many discoveries; made experiments on gases and the respiration of them, particularly nitrous oxide and carbonic acid; discovered… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Davy, Sir Humphry —  (1778–1829) Not Humphrey. English chemist …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • Humphry Davy — Sir Humphry Davy, Bt Portrait by Henry Howard, 1803 Born …   Wikipedia

  • Humphry Davy — Sir Humphry Davy (mitunter falsch Humphrey geschrieben) (* 17. Dezember 1778 in Penzance, Cornwall, England; † 29. Mai 1829 in Genf, Schweiz) war ein englischer Chemiker …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Davy lamp — n. [after DAVY Sir Humphry, its inventor] an early safety lamp for miners, in which the flame was enclosed by wire gauze as a protection against firedamp …   English World dictionary

  • Davy — (sir Humphry) (1778 1829) chimiste et physicien anglais. Il découvrit notam. le potassium et le sodium, en 1807, grâce à ses travaux sur l électrolyse …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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