Frederick Blackman facts for kids

Frederick Frost Blackman (25 July 1866 – 30 January 1947) was an important British scientist. He studied plants and how they work, especially how they make their own food. This field is called plant physiology.

Frederick Blackman was born in Lambeth, London. His father was a doctor. Frederick first studied medicine at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Later, he went to the University of Cambridge to study natural sciences. He earned a special degree called a Doctor of Science (DSc).

He spent many years doing research in Cambridge. He focused on how plants grow and breathe. A big part of his work was about photosynthesis, which is how plants use sunlight to make food. A scientist named Gabrielle Matthaei worked as his assistant for a while.

In 1906, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group for top scientists. He was recognized for his excellent work in plant physiology. He also received the Royal Medal in 1921. This is another major award for scientific achievements.

Frederick Blackman retired from his research in 1936. He was buried in Cambridge with his wife, Elsie.

Blackman's Law of Limiting Factors

In 1905, Blackman came up with an important idea called the law of limiting factors. This law helps us understand how fast a process can happen.

Imagine a process that needs several things to work. Blackman's law says that the speed of the whole process is limited by the slowest thing needed. It's like a chain: the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Photosynthesis Example

Let's use photosynthesis as an example. Plants need light, water, and carbon dioxide (CO2) to make food.

Suppose a plant leaf can use 5 milligrams of carbon dioxide per hour for photosynthesis. But what if only 1 milligram of carbon dioxide reaches the leaf in an hour?

In this case, the photosynthesis process will be very slow. It's limited by the small amount of carbon dioxide. Even if there's plenty of light and water, the plant can only make food as fast as it gets carbon dioxide.

However, if the amount of carbon dioxide increases from 1 to 5 milligrams per hour, the rate of photosynthesis will also go up. Once it reaches 5 milligrams, something else, like light, might become the limiting factor.

See also

• Dorothea Pertz