Boyle Robert is a scientist many centuries ahead of his time. He was not only a physicist, but also engaged in chemistry and even theology. Today it seems that these are incompatible activities. But for the 17th century, in which Boyle lived and worked, this was normal.
At that time, a person could not be considered educated if he did not possess the fundamentals of theology.
Robert Boyle: An Early Biography
The scientist was born in a noble, prosperous family, but he could not be the heir to his father's property, being the seventh son. The father, however, loved the child and did everything to provide him with a good education. Robert Boyle, whose biography is full of similar events, went to study at Eton University. There he studied natural sciences and medicine. The choice of direction was not accidental - at that time it almost guaranteed a decent position in the future. After graduation, he returned to one of his father's estates. Boyle Robert traveled a lot. At age 12 with his brother, they set off on a journey through Europe, which lasted 6 years. The scientist returned only after learning about the death of his father.
Boyle Robert and his life at Oxford
After moving to Stolbridge, he led a quiet life for several years, studying theology and philosophy.
After some time, the scientist decides to leave for Oxford to study chemistry and physics and further work on these areas. In Oxford, he became a member of the Invisible College, and it is thanks to him that the Royal Society of London appears. After 20 years, in 1680, Boyle Robert was even elected president of the society, but resigned from his honorary position. After 5 years, the scientist is awarded a doctorate in physics. Using the money that he inherited, he opens a laboratory and collaborates with many famous physicists of the 17th century.
Pathfinder Physicist
1660 - a turning point in the life of a scientist. At this time, he was studying the works of O. Guericke and wanted to repeat his experiments, which he did soon. He not only built an air pump, but also discovered one of the fundamental physical laws, according to which, the change in the volume of a gaseous substance is inversely proportional to pressure.
That is, now it was possible to accurately calculate the volumes of gaseous substances. It is noteworthy that the same law was discovered by Marriott, and quite independently of Boyle. In modern physics, he appears as the Boyle-Marriott law. He was a man who justified experimental research methods not only in physics but also in chemistry. Boyle did a great layer of work in the field of atomic theory. For him, experience was a criterion and indicator of truth, as for Bacon, whose work Boyle referred to.
One of the areas of work of Boyle Physics is the creation of a perpetual motion machine. This idea occupied the minds of many scientists. According to Robert Boyle, the perpetual motion machine is real. The water cycle in nature is the best example. In his opinion, it is possible due to the action of capillary forces, which can be used to create perpetual motion. According to the scientist, if the length of the capillary is small, then the liquid rising along it will pour back into the vessel located below.
Skeptic chemist
Robert Boyle, whose contribution to chemistry is also impossible to overestimate, has published many scientific papers related to this science. The Skeptic Chemist is the most famous of his works. In it, Boyle Robert successfully refutes the fundamental doctrine of Aristotle and the doctrine of the "Three Principles", which was followed by alchemists. They believed that everything in the world was made up of mercury, sulfur, and salt. Boyle proved that this is far from the case. In his opinion, chemistry is a self-sufficient science. It is not limited to one attempt to turn metal into gold, but should study the properties of metals and be on guard of human health. Despite outstanding discoveries, the scientist could not find peace of mind. He, as a believer, was confused by the fact that he could not explain many of the phenomena that he encountered during the experiments.
He was the first to use the concept of "analysis of body composition" and introduced it into chemical science. He studied the quantitative results of firing various metals, combustion, and so on. 1663 was the year of the first use of indicators in the history of science to determine alkalis and acids. Boyle also received phosphorus as a result of his independent experiments. The scientist described the properties of the new substance, indicating its ability to glow, solubility, smell and color.
This was the beginning of analytical chemistry as a separate branch of chemical knowledge.
Theology as salvation for the soul
Boyle Robert believed that he was doing something wicked by conducting experiments and obtaining results that neither he nor the leading minds could explain. He hoped to find salvation in the faith and save his soul. His desire was so strong that he independently learned Aramaic and Greek. The last will of the scientist was to give all his acquired fortune to the development of science in the UK.