Robert boyle
Robert boyleRobert Boyle was born on January 25, 1627. He was born in Lismore Castle County Cork, Ireland. (Encyclopedia p. 469) His father was the Earl of Cork. His mother died when he was very young. (Sootin pp. 3-6) Robert was the seventh son of fourteen children and was his father's favorite. He was very different from his brothers. Instead of playing like most of the children, Robert preferred studying and reading. The father and founder of modern chemistry had been born. (Sootin p.8) In this paper will be discussed Robert Boyle's childhood, his scientific works, and his death.
Boyle grew up imitating and making fun of people who studdered, in fact, he did it so much, he also developed the habit of studdering. This habit caused him to keep to himself much of the time. The rest of his life was plagued by this affliction. Without this defect, he may have never concentrated enough to accomplish what he did. It was bad at first, however it turned out for the best.(Sootin p.9)
Robert Boyle went through school like other normal boys at that time. Then it came time to go to college in which he attended Eton College. Eton college was located in England.
(Sootin p.10)
After graduating college, Boyle decided to start his work at Oxford. At the age of twenty-seven, he finally became what he wanted to be for so long, an experimental scientist.(Sootin pp.37-38) He continued at Oxford and received an Honored M.D., and later was accepted to be a member of the Royal Society, a big scientific group. It was a great honor to be a part of that scientific group.(Salzberg p.161)
Arguably, Robert Boyle is most famous for Boyle's Law. Boyles's Law, in formula form, is Pressure x volume = a constant. Boyle's Law in word form is, "At constant temperature for given mass of gas, volume varies inversely with pressure" ( Biddle p.164).
Robert performed many experiments throughout his career. One of the experiments was that Boyle wanted to know was if when wood burned, was the smoke and ash already there. He found no proof that ash, smoke, or flame were there before the wood was burned.
(Salzberg p. 162)
Boyle also did a lot of work with elements and figuring what things were elements and what things were not elements. He concluded that water was not an element. He also rejected fire as an element. (Salzberg p.164) He really did not know what an element was, but he did know what it was not. Robert once said, "I must not look upon anybody as a true principle or element which is not perfectly homogeneous but is further resolvable into any number of distinct substances." Boyle was not even sure if gold was an element, but he was sure that mercury was a compound and not...
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