Bernard Courtois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bernard Courtois
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| Born | 8 February 1777 Dijon, France
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| Died | 27 September 1838 (aged 61) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | chemist |
| Known for | Discovery of |
| Spouse(s) | Madeleine Morand |
| Partner(s) | Madeleine Morand |
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Bernard Courtois (born February 8, 1777 – died September 27, 1838) was a French chemist. He is famous for being the first person to discover and isolate the chemical element iodine.
Discovering Iodine
In the early 1800s, France was involved in the Napoleonic Wars. This meant there was a big need for potassium nitrate, a chemical used to make gunpowder. Usually, this chemical was made from wood ashes. But during the war, wood ashes became hard to find.
So, people started looking for other ways to get potassium nitrate. They found that a lot of it could be made from seaweed, which was very common along the coasts of Normandy and Brittany.
Bernard Courtois worked with seaweed ash. He was trying to get different chemicals like sodium and potassium from it. One day, around 1811, he added sulfuric acid to the seaweed ash. He noticed something very unusual.
A strange purple vapor rose from the mixture! He was also looking into why his copper containers were corroding, and this purple vapor appeared. This mysterious purple vapor was a new chemical element. Courtois had discovered iodine.
Later Life and Recognition
Other famous chemists, like Humphry Davy and Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, quickly recognized Courtois as the true discoverer of iodine. His discovery was very important.
In 1822, Courtois started a business. He began making high-quality iodine and its salts. Iodine turned out to be very useful, especially in medicine.
Because of the medical value of iodine, Courtois was honored in 1831. He received 6,000 francs as part of the Montyon Prize from L'Academie royale des sciences (The Royal Academy of Sciences).
Despite his important discovery and recognition, Courtois faced financial difficulties for the rest of his life. He passed away on September 27, 1838, at the age of 61. He did not have much money left for his wife or son.
See also
In Spanish: Bernard Courtois para niños
