Everything about Joseph Black totally explained
Joseph Black (
April 16,
1728 –
December 6,
1799 ) was a
Scottish physicist and
chemist, known for his discoveries of
latent heat,
specific heat, and
carbon dioxide. He was a founder of
thermochemistry who developed many pre-
thermodynamics concepts, such as
heat capacity, and was the mentor for
James Watt. The
chemistry buildings at both the
University of Edinburgh and the
University of Glasgow are named after him.
Early years
Black was born in
Bordeaux, France, where his father, who was from
Belfast,
Ireland, was engaged in the wine trade. His mother was from
Aberdeenshire,
Scotland, and her family was also in the wine business. Joseph had twelve brothers and sisters. He entered the
University of Glasgow when he was eighteen years old, and four years later he went to
Edinburgh to further his medical studies.
Professional life
While at the University of Edinburgh, Black studied properties of
carbon dioxide (CO2).. One of his experiments involved placing a flame and mice into the carbon dioxide. Because both entities died, Black concluded that the air wasn't breathable. He named it 'fixed air' in 1754. In 1756 Black described how
carbonates become more alkaline when they lose carbon dioxide, whereas the taking-up of carbon dioxide reconverts them. He was the first person to isolate carbon dioxide in a perfectly pure state. This was an important step in the history of chemistry as it helped people to realize that air wasn't an element, but rather was composed of many different things. Black's work also aided in discrediting the belief in a fiery principle called
phlogiston.
In about 1750, Joseph Black developed the
analytical balance based on a light-weight beam balanced on a wedge-shaped
fulcrum. Each arm carried a pan on which the sample or standard weights was placed. It far exceeded the accuracy of any other balance of the time and became an important scientific instrument in most chemistry laboratories..
In 1757, he was appointed
Regius Professor of the Practice of Medicine at the
University of Glasgow.
In 1761, wrote Ogg, Black deduced that the application of heat to ice doesn't cause its immediate liquefaction, rather the ice absorbed the heat without a rise in
temperature. Additionally, Black observed that the application of heat to boiling water doesn't result in immediate evaporation. From these observations, he concluded that the heat applied must have combined with the ice particles and boiling water and become
latent. In espousing his theory of latent heat, said Ogg, the new subject of thermal science commenced.
Black's theory of latent heat was one of his more-important scientific contribution, and one on which his scientific fame chiefly rests. He also showed that different substances have different specific heats. This all proved important not only in the development of abstract science but in the development of the steam engine.
Personal life
Black was a friend of
James Watt, who first began his studies on steam power at Glasgow University in 1761. Black also was a member of
the Poker Club and associated with
David Hume,
Adam Smith, and the literati of the
Scottish Enlightenment. Black never married. He died in Edinburgh at the age of 71, and is buried there in
Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Joseph Black'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://joseph_black.totallyexplained.com">Joseph Black Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
