Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier facts for kids

Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier (sometimes spelled Lemonnier) was a French scientist. He was born on June 27, 1717, and passed away on September 7, 1799. He studied many different areas of science. He also helped write a very important book called the Encyclopédie. This book was a huge collection of knowledge about science, arts, and crafts.

A Scientist with Many Talents

Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier was a true "natural scientist." This means he studied many different parts of nature and the world around him. He worked in physics, which is the study of how things move and energy works. He also studied geology, which is about Earth's rocks and land. Medicine, the study of health and healing, was another one of his interests. And he was a botanist, someone who studies plants.

Early Life and Family

Louis-Guillaume was born near a town called Vire in France. His father, Pierre Le Monnier, was also a famous scientist. His father was even a member of the French Academy of Sciences, a group of top scientists in France. Louis-Guillaume also had an older brother named Pierre Charles Le Monnier. His brother was a well-known astronomer, someone who studies stars and planets.

Exploring and Discovering

In 1739, Louis-Guillaume joined an important trip. He went with other scientists, César-François Cassini de Thury and Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. Their goal was to measure and extend the Meridian of Paris. This was a very long imaginary line used for making maps. During this trip, Louis-Guillaume wrote down what he saw. He documented mines and studied the geology and plants along their path.

In the same year, he also started working as a doctor. He worked at a hospital in Saint Germain en Laye.

Experiments with Electricity

Louis-Guillaume was very interested in electricity. He did experiments to understand how it worked. In one experiment, he sent electricity from a Leyden jar through a long wire. A Leyden jar is an early type of battery that can store electric charge. The wire was about 1,850 meters (or about 6,000 feet) long! From this, he concluded that electricity traveled "instantaneously" through the wire. This means it moved incredibly fast.

Later, he also studied electricity related to thunderstorms. He looked at how electricity behaves in the air, even when there isn't a storm.

Joining Important Science Groups

Like his father and brother, Louis-Guillaume became a member of the Académie des sciences. He joined this important French science group on July 3, 1743.

He was also chosen to be a member of the Royal Society in England. This happened on February 7, 1745. His brother was also a member of this famous society. A year later, on June 30, 1746, he also became a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Germany. Being part of these groups showed how respected he was as a scientist.

Helping with the King's Garden

Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier helped organize a special plant collection. This collection belonged to Louis XV, the King of France. It was located at the Petit Trianon, a small palace on the grounds of Versailles. He worked with another person named Claude Richard to start this project. Soon, another famous botanist, Bernard de Jussieu, joined them.

In 1759, Louis-Guillaume became a professor of botany. He taught at the Jardin du Roi, which is now called the Jardin des Plantes. This is a famous botanical garden in Paris. He took over the position after the death of Antoine de Jussieu, who was Bernard de Jussieu's brother. Years later, in 1786, another scientist named René Louiche Desfontaines took over his role as professor.

Writing for the Encyclopédie

Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier wrote several articles for Diderot's Encyclopédie. This was a huge project to gather all human knowledge into one set of books. He wrote about topics like "Electricité" (Electricity) and "Magnétisme" (Magnetism). He also wrote about "Aimant" (Magnet) and "Aiguille aimantée" (Compass needle). After 1759, he stopped publishing new works.

Later Life and Achievements

In his later career, Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier held important positions as a doctor. In 1770, he became the "Premier médecin ordinaire." This means he was a chief doctor. Then, in 1788, he became the "Premier médecin du Roi." This made him the King's chief doctor. These roles showed how much the King trusted his medical knowledge.

His Published Works

Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier wrote several books and papers during his career. Here are some of his important publications:

• Leçons de physique expérimentale, sur l'équilibre des liqueurs et sur la nature et les propriétés de l'air (1742) - This book was about experiments in physics, focusing on liquids and air.
• Observations d'histoire naturelle faites dans les provinces méridionales de France, pendant l'année 1739 (1744) - This work contained his observations about nature from his trip in southern France in 1739.
• Recherches sur la Communication de l'Electricité (1746) - This paper was about his research on how electricity travels.
• Observations sur l'Electricité de l'Air (1752) - This publication focused on his observations about electricity in the air.

See also

In Spanish: Louis Guillaume Le Monnier para niños