Louis Nicolas Vauquelin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
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| Born | 16 May 1763 Saint-André-d'Hébertot, Normandy, France
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| Died | 14 November 1829 (aged 66) Saint-André-d'Hébertot, Normandy, France
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| Known for | beryllium chromium asparagine |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Doctoral advisor | Antoine Francois de Fourcroy |
| Doctoral students | Friedrich Stromeyer Louis Thénard |
| Influenced | Mathieu Orfila |
Louis Nicolas Vauquelin (born May 16, 1763 – died November 14, 1829) was a famous French pharmacist and chemist. He is best known for discovering two chemical elements: chromium and beryllium.
Contents
Early Life and Chemistry Start
Vauquelin was born in a small town called Saint-André-d'Hébertot in Normandy, France. His father, Nicolas Vauquelin, managed a large estate.
His journey into chemistry began when he worked as an assistant for a pharmacist in Rouen. This was from 1777 to 1779. Later, he met a famous chemist named A. F. Fourcroy. Vauquelin became his assistant from 1783 to 1791.
He then moved to Paris and worked at the Jardin du Roi, a royal garden. There, a chemistry professor became his friend and mentor. In 1791, he joined the Academy of Sciences. He also helped to edit a science magazine called Annales de Chimie. Even during the French Revolution, he continued his work, though he left the country for a short time.
Discoveries and Chemical Contributions
At first, Vauquelin's work was published under his mentor Fourcroy's name. Then, they published some papers together. By 1790, Vauquelin started publishing his own research. He published a total of 376 scientific papers during his career.
Most of his work involved carefully analyzing different substances. He discovered two new chemical elements. In 1797, he found chromium in a red lead ore from Siberia. Then, in 1798, he discovered beryllium oxide. He extracted it from an emerald, which is a type of beryl. Another chemist, Klaproth, later separated the pure beryllium element from this oxide.
Vauquelin also managed to make ammonia liquid at normal air pressure. Later, with Fourcroy, he found a metal in a platinum leftover. They called it 'ptène', which is an old name for the element osmium.
Roles and Teaching
Vauquelin held many important positions throughout his life. He was an inspector of mines and a professor at several schools. These included the School of Mines and the Polytechnic School. He also tested gold and silver items.
He taught chemistry at the College de France and the Jardin des Plantes. He was part of the Council of Industry and Commerce. He also helped create pharmacy laws. After Fourcroy died in 1809, Vauquelin took over his role as chemistry professor at the Medical Faculty. Many future famous chemists attended his lectures and practical lab classes.
Interesting Experiments
One less-known experiment he did involved chickens. He fed hens a specific amount of minerals. He then calculated the amount of lime (a mineral) in the oats they ate. Surprisingly, he found even more lime in the shells of their eggs. This showed that matter could be created in a way they didn't understand at the time.
Later Life and Lasting Legacy
From 1809, Vauquelin was a professor at the University of Paris. He became a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1811. In 1816, he was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He even became a member of the French Parliament, called the Chamber of Deputies, in 1828.
In 1806, he worked with asparagus plants. With his young assistant, Pierre Jean Robiquet, he isolated asparagine. This was the very first amino acid ever discovered. He also found pectin and malic acid in apples. He also isolated camphoric acid and quinic acid.
Vauquelin passed away while visiting his hometown.
One of his most famous books is "Manuel de l'essayeur" (Manual of the Assayer).
Many things are named in his honor. The plant group Vauquelinia is named after him. There's also the Vauquelin, which is a type of egg white foam used in cooking. The mineral vauquelinite is also named after him. This mineral was found in the same mine as the crocoite from which he first isolated chromium.
See also
In Spanish: Louis Nicolas Vauquelin para niños
