Boyle Robert is a scientist many centuries ahead of his time. He was not only a physicist, but also studied chemistry and even theology. Today it seems that these are incompatible activities. But for the 17th century in which Boyle lived and worked, this was normal.
At that time, a person could not be considered educated if he did not master the basics of theology.
Robert Boyle: biography of the early period
The scientist was born into a noble, prosperous family, but he could not be the heir to his father's property, being the seventh son. The father, however, loved the child and did everything to provide him with a good education. Robert Boyle, whose biography is full of similar events, went to study at Eton University. There he studied natural science and medicine. The choice of direction was not accidental - at that time it practically guaranteed a decent position in the future. After graduating from university, he returned to one of his father's estates. Boyle Robert traveled widely. At the age of 12, with his brother, they set off on a journey through Europe, which lasted 6 years. The scientist returned only after learning of his father's death.
Boyle Robert and his life inOxford
Moving to Stallbridge, he led a quiet life for several years, studying theology and philosophy.
After some time, the scientist decides to leave for Oxford to study chemistry and physics and further work on these areas. At Oxford, he became a member of the Invisible College, and it is thanks to him that the Royal Society of London appears. After 20 years, in 1680, Robert Boyle was even elected president of the society, but refused the honorary position. After 5 years, the scientist is awarded a doctorate in physics. Using the money he inherited, he opens a laboratory and collaborates with many famous physicists of the 17th century.
Pioneer physicist
1660 - a turning point in the life of a scientist. At this time, he was studying the works of O. Guericke and wanted to repeat his experiments, which he soon did. He not only built an air pump, but also discovered one of the fundamental physical laws, according to which the change in the volume of a gaseous substance is inversely proportional to pressure.
That is, now it was possible to accurately calculate the volume of gaseous substances. It is noteworthy that the same law was discovered by Marriott, and completely independently of Boyle. In modern physics, it appears as the Boyle-Mariotte law. He was a person who substantiated experimental research methods not only in physics, but also in chemistry. Boyle did a large layer of work in the fieldatomistic theory. For him, experience was the criterion and indicator of truth, as it was for Bacon, whose work Boyle referred to.
One of Boyle's work as a physicist is the creation of a perpetual motion machine. This idea has occupied the minds of many scientists. According to Robert Boyle, a perpetual motion machine is real. The water cycle in nature is the best example. In his opinion, it is possible due to the action of capillary forces, which can be used to create perpetual motion. According to the scientist, if the length of the capillary is short, then the liquid rising through it will pour back into the vessel located below.
Skeptic Chemist
Robert Boyle, whose contribution to chemistry is also impossible to overestimate, has published many scientific papers related to this science. The Skeptic Chemist is his most famous work. In it, Boyle Robert successfully refutes the fundamental teachings of Aristotle and the doctrine of the "Three Principles" followed by the alchemists. They believed that everything in the world consisted of mercury, sulfur and s alt. Boyle proved that this is far from the case. In his opinion, chemistry is a self-sufficient science. It does not come down to one attempt to turn metal into gold, but should study the properties of metals and be on guard of human he alth. Despite the outstanding discoveries, the scientist could not find peace of mind. He, as a believer, was embarrassed by the fact that he could not explain many of the phenomena he encountered during his experiments.
He was the first to use the concept of "body composition analysis" and introduced it into chemical science. He studiedquantitative results of roasting various metals, combustion, and so on. 1663 was the year of the first use of indicators in the history of science in order to determine alkalis and acids. Boyle also obtained phosphorus from his independent experiments. The scientist described the properties of the new substance, indicating its ability to glow, solubility, smell and color.
This was the beginning of analytical chemistry as a separate branch of chemical knowledge.
Theology as salvation for the soul
Boyle Robert thought he was doing something wicked by doing experiments and getting results that neither he nor the leading minds could explain. He hoped to find salvation in faith and save his soul. His desire was so strong that he taught himself Aramaic and Greek. The last will of the scientist was to give all his acquired fortune to the development of science in the UK.
