Russian scientist Dmitry Mendeleev (1834-1907) is best known for his periodic law of chemical elements, on the basis of which he built a table familiar to every person since school. However, in fact, the great scientist was interested in a variety of areas of knowledge. Mendeleev's discoveries are connected with chemistry, physics, metrology, economics, geology, pedagogy, aeronautics, etc.
Periodic law
The periodic law is one of the fundamental laws of nature. It lies in the fact that the properties of chemical elements depend on their atomic weight. Mendeleev discovered the periodic law in 1869. The scientific revolution he made was not immediately recognized by chemists.
The Russian researcher proposed a regular system with the help of which it was possible to predict then unknown chemical elements and even their properties. After their early discovery (we are talking about gallium, germanium and scandium), world-famous scientists began to recognize the fundamentality of the periodic law.
Mendeleev's discoveries took place in an era when science was replenished with new disparate facts about the world around us. Because of this, the periodic law and built on its basisThe periodic table of elements faced serious challenges. For example, in 1890. noble gases and the phenomenon of radioactivity were discovered. Defending his theory, Mendeleev continued to improve the table, correlating it with ever new scientific facts. In 1900, the chemist placed argon, helium and their analogues in a separate zero group. Over time, the fundamental nature of the periodic law became clearer and more indisputable, and today it is rightfully considered one of the greatest discoveries in the history of the natural sciences.
Silicate research
The periodic law is an extremely important page in the history of science, but Mendeleev's discoveries in the field of chemistry did not end there. In 1854 he investigated Finnish orthite and pyroxene. Also, one of the cycles of Mendeleev's works is devoted to the chemistry of silicates. In 1856, the scientist published his dissertation work "Specific Volumes" (in which an assessment was made of the relationship between the volume of a substance and its characteristics). In the chapter devoted to silica compounds, Dmitry Ivanovich dwelled in detail on the nature of silicates. In addition, he was the first to give a correct interpretation of the phenomenon of the glassy state.
Gases
The early discoveries of Mendeleev were connected with another chemical and at the same time physical topic - the study of gases. The scientist took up it, delving into the search for the causes of the law of periodicity. In the 19th century, the leading theory in this field of science was the theory of the "world ether" - an all-penetrating medium through which heat, light and gravity are transmitted.
Studying this hypothesis, RussianThe researcher came to several important conclusions. Thus, Mendeleev's discoveries in physics were made, the main of which can be called the appearance of the ideal gas equation with a universal gas constant. In addition, Dmitry Ivanovich proposed his own thermodynamic temperature scale.
In total, Mendeleev published 54 works on gases and liquids. The most famous in this cycle were "Experience of the chemical concept of the world ether" (1904) and "An attempt at a chemical understanding of the world ether" (1905). In his works, the scientist used virial presentations and thus laid the foundations of modern equations for real gases.
Solutions
Solutions interested Dmitri Mendeleev throughout his scientific career. Regarding this topic, the researcher did not leave a complete theory, but limited himself to a few fundamental theses. He considered the most important points regarding solutions to be their relation to compounds, chemistry and chemical equilibrium in solutions.
All Mendeleev's discoveries were tested by him through experiments. Some of them concerned the boiling point of solutions. Thanks to a detailed analysis of the topic, Mendeleev in 1860 came to the conclusion that, turning into vapor during boiling, the liquid loses the heat of evaporation and the surface of tension down to zero. Also, Dmitry Ivanovich's teaching on solutions influenced the development of the theory of electrolyte solutions.
Mendeleev was critical of the theory of electrolytic dissociation that appeared in his time. Without denying the very concept,the scientist pointed out the need to refine it, which was directly related to his work on chemical solutions.
Contribution to aeronautics
Dmitry Mendeleev, whose discoveries and achievements cover the most diverse areas of human knowledge, was interested not only in theoretical subjects, but also in applied inventions. The end of the 19th century was marked by increased interest in the emerging aeronautics. Of course, the Russian erudite could not but pay attention to this symbol of the future. In 1875 he designed his own stratospheric balloon. Theoretically, the apparatus could rise even into the upper atmospheric layers. In practice, the first such flight took place only fifty years later.
Another invention of Mendeleev was a powered balloon. Aeronautics interested the scientist not least in connection with his other works related to meteorology and gases. In 1887, Mendeleev made an experimental flight in a balloon. The balloon managed to cover a distance of 100 kilometers at an altitude of almost 4 kilometers. For the flight, the chemist received a gold medal from the Academy of Aerostatic Meteorology of France. In his monograph on the issues of environmental resistance, Mendeleev devoted one of the sections to aeronautics, in which he described in detail his views on this topic. The scientist was interested in the developments of aviation pioneer Alexander Mozhaisky.
Development of the North and shipbuilding
Applied discoveries of Mendeleev, the list of which can be continued by those in the fieldshipbuilding, were made in collaboration with research geographical expeditions. So, Dmitry Ivanovich was the first to propose the idea of an experimental pool - an experimental setup necessary for hydromechanical studies of ship models. Admiral Stepan Makarov helped the scientist to realize this idea. On the one hand, the pool was needed for trade and military-technical purposes, but at the same time it turned out to be useful for science. The experimental plant was launched in 1894.
Among other things, Mendeleev designed an early prototype of an icebreaker. The scientist was included in the commission that selected the project for state appropriation of the world's first such ship. They became the icebreaker "Ermak", launched in 1898. Mendeleev was engaged in studies of sea water (including its density). The material for study was provided to him by the same Admiral Makarov, who had been on a round-the-world trip on the Vityaz. Mendeleev's discoveries in geography, related to the subject of the conquest of the North, were presented by scientists in more than 36 published works.
Metrology
Besides other sciences, Mendeleev was interested in metrology - the science of means and methods of measurement. The scientist worked on the creation of new methods of weighing. As a chemist he was a proponent of chemical methods of measurement. Mendeleev's discoveries, the list of which was replenished year by year, were not only scientific, but also literal - in 1893 Dmitry Ivanovich opened the Main Chamber of Weights and Measures of Russia. He also invented his own design of the arrester androcker.
Pyrocollodic powder
In 1890, Dmitry Mendeleev went on a long business trip abroad, the purpose of which was to get acquainted with foreign laboratories for the development of explosives. The scientist took up this topic at the suggestion of the state. In the Naval Ministry, he was offered to contribute to the development of the Russian gunpowder business. Mendeleev's trip was initiated by Vice Admiral Nikolai Chikhachev.
Mendeleev believed that in the domestic powder industry, it is most necessary to develop the economic and industrial aspects. He also insisted on the use of exclusively Russian raw materials in production. The main result of the work of Dmitry Mendeleev in this area was the development by him in 1892 of a new pyrocollodic gunpowder, distinguished by its smokelessness. Military experts highly appreciated the quality of this explosive. A feature of pyrocollodic gunpowder was its composition, which included nitrocellulose subject to solubility. Preparing for the production of new gunpowder, Mendeleev wanted to endow it with stabilized gas formation. For this, additional reagents were used in the manufacture of the explosive, including all kinds of additives.
Economy
At first glance, Mendeleev's discoveries in biology or metrology are not at all connected with his image as a famous chemist. However, even more distant from this science were the studies of the scientist devoted to economics. In them, Dmitry Ivanovich considered in detail the directions of developmenteconomy of their country. Back in 1867, he joined the first domestic association of entrepreneurs - the Society for the Promotion of Russian Industry and Trade.
Mendeleev saw the future of the economy in the development of independent artels and communities. This progress implied concrete reforms. For example, the scientist proposed to make the community not just agricultural, but busy with factory activities in the winter, when the fields are empty. Dmitry Ivanovich opposed resales and any form of speculation. In 1891, he participated in the development of a new Customs Tariff.
Protectionism and demographics
Mendeleev, whose discoveries in the field of chemistry overshadow his achievements in the humanities, conducted all his economic research with the quite practical goal of helping Russia. In this regard, the scientist was a consistent protectionist (which, for example, was reflected in his work in the powder industry and his letters to Tsar Nicholas II).
Mendeleev studied economics inseparably from demography. Shortly before his death, he noted in one of his works that in 2050 the population of Russia would be 800 million people. The scientist's forecast became a utopia after two world wars and the Civil War, repressions and other cataclysms that hit the country in the 20th century.
Refutation of Spiritualism
In the second half of the 19th century, Russia, like the rest of the world, was embraced by a fashion for mysticism. Representatives of high society, bohemia and simple people were fond of esotericism.city dwellers. Meanwhile, the discoveries of Mendeleev in chemistry, the list of which consists of many items, obscure his long struggle with the then popular spiritualism.
The scientist exposed the methods of mediums together with colleagues from the Russian Physical Society. With the help of a series of experiments with manometric and pyramidal tables, as well as other tools of hypnotists, Mendeleev came to the conclusion that spiritualism and similar practices are just a superstition that speculators and scammers profit from.
