Augustus Matthiessen facts for kids

Augustus Matthiessen was an important British scientist. He was a chemist and a physicist. He was born in London on January 2, 1831. He passed away in London on October 6, 1870.

Augustus Matthiessen was the son of a merchant. He earned his PhD in Germany in 1852. He studied at the University of Gießen. His teacher there was Johann Heinrich Buff.

Working with Famous Scientists

After getting his PhD, Matthiessen worked with other famous scientists. From 1853 to 1856, he worked with Robert Bunsen. Bunsen was a well-known chemist. They worked together at the University of Heidelberg.

During this time, Matthiessen made a big discovery. He was able to get pure calcium and strontium. These are two important chemical elements.

In 1857, he returned to London. He then studied with August Wilhelm von Hofmann. Hofmann was another important chemist. Matthiessen also set up his own research lab. It was located in London.

Becoming a Royal Society Fellow

In 1861, Augustus Matthiessen was chosen for a special honor. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This means he was recognized as a leading scientist.

He also taught chemistry at hospitals. From 1862 to 1868, he taught at St Mary's Hospital. After that, he taught at St Bartholomew's Hospital starting in 1868.

Key Research and Discoveries

Matthiessen's main research focused on two areas. He studied alloys and opium alkaloids. Alloys are mixtures of metals. Alkaloids are natural compounds. His work helped both physics and chemistry.

For his important work on metals and alloys, he received an award. He was given the Royal Medal in 1869. This is a very high honor from the Royal Society.

Augustus Matthiessen died in 1870. He passed away at St Bartholomew's Hospital. He had been under severe nervous strain.

Matthiessen's Rule

One of Matthiessen's lasting contributions is Matthiessen's rule. This rule helps explain how electricity moves through metals. It is especially important for understanding alloys.

Matthiessen studied how different metals conduct electricity. He looked at how adding impurities or other metals changed this. His work laid the groundwork for this rule.

The idea of "mobility" was not fully developed in his time. But later scientists built on his findings. They extended his work to create the modern form of Matthiessen's rule. This rule is now used for electron mobility. It helps explain how electrons move in materials.

Later Recognition

In 1997, a scientist named Rudolf de Bruyn Ouboter mentioned Matthiessen's work. He included Matthiessen's 1864 paper in an article. This article was about the discovery of superconductivity. It showed how Matthiessen's early work was still relevant.