Johan August Arfwedson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johan August Arfwedson
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Johan August Arfwedson
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| Born | 12 January 1792 Sweden
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| Died | 28 October 1841 (aged 49) |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Alma mater | University of Uppsala |
| Known for | Discovered lithium |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Influenced | Jöns Jakob Berzelius |
Johan August Arfwedson (born January 12, 1792 – died October 28, 1841) was a Swedish chemist. He is famous for discovering the chemical element lithium. He found it in 1817 by separating it as a salt.
Early Life and Education
Johan August Arfwedson came from a rich family in Sweden. His father, Jacob Arfwedson, was a successful merchant and factory owner.
Johan started studying at the University of Uppsala when he was young. This was common for wealthy students back then. He earned a degree in Law in 1809. Later, he also completed a degree in mineralogy in 1812. Mineralogy is the study of minerals.
After his studies, he worked at the Royal Board of Mines. This was a government office that dealt with mining.
Discovering Lithium
In Stockholm, Arfwedson met a very important chemist named Jöns Jakob Berzelius. Berzelius let Arfwedson work in his private laboratory.
It was there, in 1817, that Arfwedson made his big discovery. He was studying a mineral called petalite. During his analysis, he found a new element. He named this element lithium.
Arfwedson was the first to identify lithium as a new element. However, other scientists later managed to separate pure lithium metal.
Later Life and Recognition
After his discovery, Arfwedson traveled around Europe in 1818 and 1819. He even traveled with Berzelius for some time.
When he returned home, Arfwedson built his own chemistry laboratory. He spent most of his later life managing his family's wealth.
In 1821, he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. This is a very respected group of scientists in Sweden.
A rare mineral was later named arfvedsonite in his honor. This shows how important his work was.
See also
In Spanish: Johann Arfvedson para niños
