John Hall Gladstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Hall Gladstone
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| Born | 7 March 1827 |
| Died | 6 October 1902 (aged 75) London, UK
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| Nationality | British |
| Awards | Davy Medal (1897) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
John Hall Gladstone (born March 7, 1827 – died October 6, 1902) was an important British chemist. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, a group for top scientists. He led the Physical Society and the Chemical Society.
Besides chemistry, he also did amazing work with light and how it interacts with things (called optics). He also studied light to learn about different materials (called spectroscopy).
Contents
Life and Early Education
John Hall Gladstone was born in Hackney, London. His father, John Gladstone, was a wholesale draper. His mother was Alison Hall. John was the oldest of three sons.
All three brothers were taught at home by tutors. From a young age, they all loved natural science. In 1842, his father stopped working. The family then spent a year traveling in Europe.
Part of their trip was in Italy. There, they met old friends, Charles Tilt and his family. In 1852, John Hall Gladstone married their daughter, May. They had seven children together. One of their daughters, Isabella Holmes, later became a well-known social reformer.
Becoming a Scientist
When John was 17, he wanted to become a Christian minister. But his father and Mr. Tilt convinced him to study science instead. In December 1844, he joined University College, London.
There, he attended lectures on chemistry by Thomas Graham. He also worked in Graham's private lab. His first scientific paper was about "Analysis of Sand from St. Michael's Bay, Normandy." He presented it in 1846.
The next year, he won a gold medal from the college. This was for his study on "Gun Cotton and Xyloidine." Later that year, he went to the University of Giessen in Germany. He worked there with Justus von Liebig, a famous chemist.
In April 1848, he returned with a Doctor of Philosophy degree. His research was likely on how to create urea artificially.
Community and Religious Work
Even though Gladstone became a scientist, he stayed active in religious work. His parents were part of a church in Clapham. He taught Sunday School there. He also led services at a Mission Room.
Later, he led a Bible Class for young men. He was also closely involved with the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). This group was founded by George Williams. For many years, he organized a special Sunday meeting at the British Association's annual gathering.
Career and Family Life
In 1850, Gladstone became a chemistry lecturer at St. Thomas's Hospital. He held this job for two years. In June 1853, at only 26 years old, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a great honor for a scientist.
In 1864, he faced great sadness. He lost his wife, their oldest daughter, and their only son. Despite these losses, he continued his scientific and social work.
From 1863 to 1864, and again from 1866 to 1868, he served on the Council of the Royal Society. He was also part of a Royal Commission on Lighthouses, Buoys, and Beacons. From 1864 to 1868, he was on the Gun Cotton Committee.
Gladstone was a Liberal in politics. He even tried to become a Member of Parliament in 1868, but he did not win.
In 1869, he married Margaret Thompson King. She was the daughter of Rev. Dr. David King and niece of Lord Kelvin, another famous scientist. Margaret died in 1870, leaving one daughter.
From 1874 to 1877, Gladstone was a chemistry professor at the Royal Institution. He was also the first President of the Physical Society, which he helped start. He led the Chemical Society from 1877 to 1879.
Gladstone loved London and rarely wanted to live elsewhere. He spoke French well. He often went to summer meetings of the French Association for the Advancement of Sciences. He also attended some Swiss Association meetings.
Awards and Recognition
Gladstone received many honors for his work. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the College of Preceptors for his services to education. In 1892, he received a science degree (Sc.D.) from Trinity College, Dublin.
In 1897, the Royal Society gave him the Davy Medal. This award was for his many contributions to chemistry. It especially recognized his important work using optical methods in chemistry.
On October 6, 1902, the day he died, he led a meeting of the Christian Evidence Society. After walking part of the way home, he was found lifeless in his study. He died from heart failure. He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.
Key Scientific Discoveries
In his early career, Gladstone studied compounds like phosphamide. He also looked into the makeup of nitrogen iodide in 1852. His important work was published in 1855. It was about "Circumstances modifying the Action of chemical Affinity." In this work, he explored how changing the amount of one substance affects a chemical reaction.
Studying Light and Elements
Gladstone was very interested in light and how it interacts with different materials. This interest showed up early in his career. In 1854, he lectured on "Chromatic Phenomena exhibited by Transmitted Light." He also studied fluorescence and dichroism in solutions.
In 1858, he showed how a prism could be used in chemical analysis. He found special lines in the absorption spectrum of didymium. This substance was later found to be two different elements: praseodymium and neodymium.
Later, he studied the absorption spectrum of the atmosphere. He found that Fraunhofer lines changed during the day. This meant something in Earth's atmosphere caused the change. He worked with Sir David Brewster on this. Together, they wrote a paper on the lines of the solar spectrum in 1860.
Gladstone's most important work in this area was on the refraction and dispersion of liquids. He studied how temperature affects light refraction. He also researched the refraction, dispersion, and sensitivity of liquids.
The Zinc-Copper Couple
Around 1872, Gladstone started new research with his assistant, Alfred Tribe. They discovered the zinc-copper couple. This is a special combination of zinc and copper. It is used to create organozinc compounds and for other purposes.
The zinc-copper couple is now used in almost every laboratory worldwide. It is a very useful tool for reducing (adding electrons to) substances. It helps with carbon compounds and many types of chemical analysis.
Public Lectures
John Hall Gladstone was invited to give the famous Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. These lectures are for young people. In 1874, he lectured on The Voltaic Battery. In 1876, his lecture was on The Chemistry of Fire.
See also
- Gladstone–Dale relation
In Spanish: John Hall Gladstone para niños
