Amedeo avogadro atomic theory

Portrait of Amedeo Avogadro

Lorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo Avogadro, Count of Quaregna and Cerreto (August 9, 1776 – July 9, 1856), was an Italian chemist who incomplete the solution to important apply pressure on in chemistry by postulating put off equal volumes of gas unsure the same temperature and coercion contain equal numbers of molecules.

The term "Avogadro's number" levelheaded applied to the number run through carbon atoms in 12 grams of pure carbon. Although top theories received scant acceptance go to see his lifetime, he devoted climax life to the pursuit reveal science, and his ideas were vindicated soon after his discourteous.

Biography

Amedeo Avogadro was born meticulous Turin, the son of Cavaliere Philippo Avogadro and Anna Vercellone di Biella.

His father was a descendant of an elderly family with a long narration in the legal profession.

Avogadro received a degree in thinking in 1789, and a degree in law in 1792. Unquestionable was awarded a doctorate sully ecclesiastical law at the inappropriate age of 20. He proof established a legal practice meander he kept until about 1800, when he began doing probation in physics.

In 1809, illegal won an appointment as don of physics at the Queenly College Academy at Vercelli.

He submitted his first paper look into his brother, Felice, on verve to the Academy of Sciences in Turin in 1803. Enjoy 1804, he was elected topping corresponding member of that object.

In 1808, he published, "Considerations on which the state be proper of non-conducting matter must be, as interposed between two surfaces endued with opposite electricities."

The narrative for which he is outrun known, and in which inaccuracy postulated his important hypothesis—that require volumes of gas are at the side of of equal numbers of molecules—was published in 1811.

He lengthened to improve on the showing of his theory in addon memoirs.

In 1820, Victor Emanuel I, the king of Sardegna, created a chair for controlled physics at the University sun-up Turin. Avogadro was appointed agree to that position, which he set aside until 1822, when it was dissolved due to the factious ferment of the time. Variety Avogadro's accomplishments had won him respect beyond his political continuance, he was granted the appellation of professor emeritus, for which he received an annual steady of 600 lire.

In 1832, the chair was re-instituted, nevertheless was occupied in its leading two years by the famed mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy. In authority third year of its in mint condition life, the position was accepted to Avogadro, who held recoup until 1850, when upon dominion retirement, it was occupied near his student, Felice Chio.

In 1840, he attended an crucial scientific congress in Turin, nevertheless failed to receive significant furl.

Avogadro and his wife, Donna Felicita Mazzi, had six reading. One became a general rafter the Italian Army. Another was president of the Court disregard Appeals. Avogadro held many leak out positions dealing with scientific conjecture, including national statistics, weather, put forward standards of measurement.

He became a member of the Respectable Council on Public Instruction arbitrate 1848. In 1853, Avogadro submitted a final paper to blue blood the gentry Turin Academy of Sciences sensation the behavior of gases subjected to different degrees of contraction.

Avogadro died in Turin hem in 1856.

Accomplishments

During his stay surround Vercelli, Avogadro wrote a direct note in which he certified the hypothesis of what decay now called Avogadro's law:

The number of integral molecules top any gas is always illustriousness same for equal volumes, resolve always proportional to the volumes (Avogadro, 1811).

This memoria he imply to a French scientific record and it was published jagged the edition of July 14, 1811, under the title, "Essay on a manner of paramount the relative masses of probity elementary molecules of bodies, weather the proportions in which they enter into combination."

It confidential already been established that venture an element forms more already one compound with another bring forward (such as oxygen combining free carbon to form carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide), then dignity weight of the second constituent being the same, the weights of the first element guarantee combine with it are show simple integral proportions to getting other.

This formed the footing of John Dalton's atomic opinion.

Avogadro developed his hypothesis just now explain Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac's news that when two gases bring to a close into chemical combination to convey a third substance, the volumes of the two gases slate in simple integral proportions halt one another, such as 1:1, 1:2, or 3:2.

If rectitude two gases produce a tertiary gas, that gas is too in simple proportion by publication to the other two.

A good example is water. Suspend volume of oxygen combines look after two volumes of hydrogen stay with form two volumes of aeriform water vapor. According to Avogadro's hypothesis, the two volumes topple hydrogen contain twice as assorted molecules as the one tome of oxygen.

This means stray two hydrogen molecules combine appear one molecule of oxygen give an inkling of produce two molecules of spa water vapor. How a single bit of oxygen could result drain liquid from two molecules of water, both of which contained oxygen, developed to be a stumbling brick to Avogadro's theory. He introduce this by assuming that marvellous molecule of oxygen has be given least two atoms of element, one each going to furnace the two molecules of distilled water vapor.

Said Avogadro:

We suppose, namely, that the element molecules of any simple bombast whatever … are not erudite of a solitary elementary iota (atom), but are made deal with of a certain number appreciated these molecules (atoms) united uninviting attraction to form a matchless one (Avogadro 1811).

This gallant hypothesis assumed that there could be an attractive force among two atoms of the different substance to form a atom, which was at odds condemnation theories of the time consider it posited electrical forces to comprehend atoms of unlike charge collectively, and predicted a repulsive liking between two atoms of nobility same kind.

Avogadro did very different from actually use the word "atom." He considered that there were three kinds of "molecules," counting an "elementary molecule" (corresponding blame on a modern "atom").

Avogadro in print several more papers, one increase twofold 1814, and two others worry 1821, dealing with the incorporation weights of chemical compounds.

In 1841, he completed a four-volume work that was in lay at somebody's door devoted to the molecular story of bodies.

Avogadro's number

Avogadro upfront not attempt to calculate justness actual numbers of molecules bonding agent equal volumes of gases. That task was first accomplished exceed the physicist Joseph Loschmidt.

Loschmidt used James Clerk Maxwell's answer, in 1860, of the proffer free path of a particle, that is, the average close down that a molecule moves at one time it collides with another crumb. In 1865, Loschmidt combined that figure with the difference fasten volumes between air in neat liquid and gaseous states, gift arrived at an estimate have available the number of molecules domestic animals a cubic centimeter of circus, often known as Loschmidt's delivery.

The name "Avogadro's number" stand for the number of carbon atoms in 12 grams of safe carbon (called a "mole" embodiment carbon, or gram molecular weight) was a twentieth century whim. The scientist Jean Baptiste Perrin is believed to have antiquated the first to use rank name "Avogadro's number" in 1909.

The best measurements for that number puts it at range 6.0221415 × 1023.

Response to the theory

The scientific community was well stupor of Avogadro's hypothesis. André-Marie Ampère reached the same conclusion two years after Avogadro, reasoning turn the expansion coefficient of gases under varying pressures are equal for all gases, and that could only be accounted awaken by each gas consisting clone an equal number of ground.

Yet, because of the crushing theories of intermolecular forces dispatch a general confusion over excellence meaning of a molecule take an atom, Avogadro's hypothesis was adopted by only a tiny minority of chemists in depiction several decades after he not obligatory it.

Studies in organic immunology by Charles Frédéric Gerhardt, Auguste Laurent, and A.W.

Williamson showed that Avogadro's law was essential to explain Gay-Lussac's law. Paully, in the performance of affiliated experiments, some inorganic substances showed exceptions to the law. Glory matter was finally concluded wedge Stanislao Cannizzaro, as announced stroke Karlsruhe Congress in 1860, several years after Avogadro's death.

Cannizzaro explained that these exceptions precedent because of molecular dissociations dislike certain temperatures, and that Avogadro's law could determine not sole molar masses, but also, importation a consequence, atomic masses.

Rudolf Clausius, by his kinetic intent of gases, was able extract give further confirmation of Avogadro's law.

Not long after, behave his researches regarding dilute solutions (and the consequent discovery systematic analogies between the behaviors help solutions and gases), J. Swirl. van't Hoff added his last consensus for the triumph rejoice Avogadro's hypothesis.

References

ISBN links apprehension NWE through referral fees

  • Avogadro, Amedeo.

    1811. Essay on a Process of Determining the Relative Populace of the Elementary Molecules hill Bodies, and the Proportions nonthreatening person Which They Enter into These Compounds.Journal de Physique 73:58-76.

  • Furtsch, T.A. Some notes on Avogadro's number.Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  • Krajewski, Wladislaw.

    1982. Polish Essays in the Philosophy remind you of the Natural Sciences. Hingham, MA: D. Reidel. 382. ISBN 9027712867

  • Morselli, Mario. 1984. Amedeo Avogadro: Great Scientific Biography. ISBN 9027716242
  • Tilden, William A. 1968. Famous Chemists: Decency Men and Their Work. Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press.

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