George Gore (electrochemist) facts for kids

George Gore (born January 22, 1826 – died December 20, 1908) was a smart English scientist who studied electrochemistry. This is a field that looks at how electricity and chemical reactions work together. Some people even say his work with phosphorus helped invent the safety match!

George Gore's Early Life and Career

George Gore was born in Blackfriars, Bristol on January 22, 1826. His dad, also named George Gore, was a cooper, which means he made wooden barrels. George went to a small private school. When he was just twelve, he started working as an errand boy. At 17, he became an apprentice to a cooper, just like his dad, and worked in that trade for four years.

In 1851, George Gore moved to Birmingham. He first worked as a timekeeper at the Soho Foundry. Then, he became a practitioner in medical galvanism. This involved using electricity for health purposes. Later, he worked as a chemist for a phosphorus factory.

Teaching and Research

From 1870 to 1880, George Gore taught physics and chemistry at King Edward's School, Birmingham. After that, starting in 1880, he became the head of the Institute of Scientific Research. This was his own research center located on Easy Row in Birmingham. He lived and worked there for the rest of his life.

In 1865, George Gore was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very important group for scientists. He earned this honor because he discovered a special form of antimony called an amorphous allotrope. He also studied sounds made by electricity and did a lot of research in electro-chemistry.

Manufacturers in Birmingham used his new ideas for electroplating. This is a process where a thin layer of one metal is put onto another using electricity. The University of Edinburgh gave him an honorary degree (hon. LL.D.) in 1877. In 1891, he received a civil list pension. This was a special payment from the government for his contributions.

George Gore passed away in Birmingham on December 20, 1908. He was buried there at Warstone Lane cemetery.

George Gore's Scientific Works

Between 1853 and 1865, George Gore wrote many research papers. He published about 30 papers on chemistry and electro-metallurgy. These appeared in important science magazines like the Philosophical Magazine and the Journal of the Chemical Society. Three of his most important papers were about the properties of electro-deposited antimony. These were published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. He also did major research on liquid carbonic acid and hydrofluoric acid.

Books by George Gore

George Gore also wrote three important technical books:

• The Art of Electro-metallurgy (first published in 1877, with a fifth edition in 1891). This book taught people about electroplating.
• The Art of Scientific Discovery (1878). This book explored how scientific discoveries are made.
• The Electro-lytic Separation and Refining of Metals (1890). This book was about using electricity to separate and purify metals.

He also wrote two other books: The Scientific Basis of National Progress (1882) and The Scientific Basis of Morality (1899). These books shared his strong scientific views on how society and morals work.

George Gore's Family Life

In 1849, George married Hannah Owen. Her father, Thomas Owen, was a Baptist minister. George and Hannah had one son and one daughter. Hannah passed away in 1907, before George did.

In his will, George Gore left about £5000 of his money to science. He wanted it to be split equally between the Royal Society of London and the Royal Institution of Great Britain. His wish was for this money to help "assist original scientific discovery." In 1911, his daughter, Alice Augusta Gore Fysh, was given a civil list pension of £50.