Alchemy facts for kids
Alchemy was a very old study that mixed science, philosophy, and even a bit of magic! People who practiced alchemy, called alchemists, tried to change ordinary things, like metals, into other substances. They also looked for connections between substances, magic, and astrology (the study of how stars and planets might affect life).
One of the most famous goals of alchemists was to turn common metals like lead or mercury into shiny gold. They also dreamed of creating a special item called the Philosopher's Stone, which they believed could help them make gold. Another big goal was to find the "elixir of life," a magical potion they thought could cure any sickness and even make people young again!
Alchemists thought that everything was connected: substances, thoughts, beliefs, religion, magic, and the stars. They tried to understand one by learning about another. Sometimes, they used metals like gold or silver to represent spiritual or hidden ideas. People all over the world, in many different countries, studied alchemy for centuries.
In the 1600s and 1700s, people started to study substances in a new way. They focused only on how substances behaved, without trying to link them to old, secret knowledge. They did careful experiments and wrote down what they found. This helped others learn from their discoveries. A very important person in this change was Robert Boyle. This new way of studying substances became what we now call chemistry.
Today, scientists know how to change one element (the simplest type of chemical substance) into another. For example, in 1980, an American scientist named Glenn Seaborg found a way to change a tiny bit of bismuth into gold using a nuclear reactor. But making gold this way is much harder and costs a lot more money than getting it from mining or recycling.
Images for kids
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Depiction of an Ouroboros from the alchemical treatise Aurora consurgens (15th century), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Switzerland
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Ambix, cucurbit and retort of Zosimos, from Marcelin Berthelot, Collection des anciens alchimistes grecs (3 vol., Paris, 1887–1888).
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15th-century artistic impression of Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber), Codici Ashburnhamiani 1166, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence.
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The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher's Stone, by Joseph Wright, 1771
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"An illuminated page from a book on alchemical processes and receipts", ca. 15th century.
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Page from alchemic treatise of Ramon Llull, 16th century
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The red sun rising over the city, the final illustration of 16th-century alchemical text, Splendor Solis. The word rubedo, meaning "redness", was adopted by alchemists and signalled alchemical success, and the end of the great work.
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Alchemist Sendivogius (1566–1636) by Jan Matejko, 1867
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An alchemist, pictured in Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.
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Mandala illustrating common alchemical concepts, symbols, and processes. From Spiegel der Kunst und Natur.
See also
In Spanish: Alquimia para niños
