Robert Boyle

By the way… As an alchemist, I was unsuccessful in finding the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, which was said to turn any metal into gold.

The first MODERN CHEMIST

This aristocratic author from Ireland advanced modern chemistry with the first law of gases.

Ireland

Switzerland France Italy

A privileged life

Born in 1627 at Lismore Castle in Ireland, Boyle’s aristocratic family sent him on a TOUR OF EUROPE when he was 12. On his return in 1644, he began writing on a wide range of subjects.

Although a religious person, Boyle’s books and essays emphasized scientific and mathematical studies. Touring European countries such as France, Switzerland, and Italy was a traditional part of a wealthy child’s education.

Productive period

In 1649, Boyle started EXPERIMENTING with elements and chemicals. He later moved to Oxford to set up a laboratory. Although he never held any post, Boyle shared ideas and showcased experiments in a group called the Experimental Philosophy Club, alongside important people such as British physician and philosopher John Locke and English architect Christopher Wren.

Who came before…

In the 8th century, alchemist Geber was the first to suggest the existence of a Philosopher’s Stone that could create gold from metals. Many medieval scientists spent their lives trying to create one. Swiss alchemist Paracelsus believed the Universe was made up of metals controlled by God. To make medical progress, he suggested doctors should study nature and conduct experiments.

Boyle employed a skilled student named Robert Hooke as his assistant. Together they invented an air pump to examine pneumatics, the area of physics studying gas behaviour. They made a breakthrough discovery – at a constant temperature, increasing pressure on a gas squeezes it and decreases its volume, and vice versa. Published in 1662, BOYLE’S LAW became the first gas law.

A single weight creates low pressure in a gas. Two weights double the pressure and squeeze the gas particles in half of the original volume.

Who came after…

Lasting legacy

Boyle was at the heart of the SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION in which scientists developed new theories and principles about the natural world. After his death in 1691, Boyle’s research papers were given to the Royal Society, a scientific research institution born out of the Experimental Philosophy Club.

The air pump helped Boyle to examine the behaviour of gases. Boyle’s book Medicina Hydrostatica

Did you know? The Boyle Lectures were started in 1692 to discuss the relationship between religion and science. They were revived in the 21st century.

How he changed the world

Robert Boyle replaced the superstitions of alchemy with real chemistry, using his own experiments to establish new laws of science.

French chemist Antoine LAvoisier also studied gases, mainly exploring the fields of combustion and respiration. He went on to give the element oxygen its name. The second gas law, called Charles’s Law, is named after French chemist JAcques chArLes. It states that as the temperature increases, particles inside a gas move faster and the volume increases.