Jan. 25, 2022

OTD: Birth of Robert Boyle - 1627

OTD: Birth of Robert Boyle - 1627

Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691), considered by many to be the Father of Chemistry, was born on this day in Lismore Castle in Waterford.

Lismore Castle

For those experiencing a throwback moment to school chemistry, Boyle was the author of the eponymous law, which described the inverse relationship between a gas' pressure and the volume it occupies.

Boyle's Law Schematic

In 1661, Boyle published The Sceptical Chymist; this publication proposed a new notion of elements rather than the four proposed by Aristotle:  earth, air, fire, and water. This notion established Boyle as the Father of Chemistry and presaged the Periodic Table, which is fundamental to education in Chemistry.

The Skeptical Chymist - published 1661

You can read more about Robert Boyle and his approach to science at the Dictionary of Irish Biography:  Boyle bio