Thomas Graham: Father of Colloid Chemistry-On the 200th Anniversary of His Birth

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 10 Issue 6 (2005) pp 457-462

Thomas Graham: Father of Colloid Chemistry—On the 200th Anniversary of His Birth

George B. Kauffman

Department of Chemistry, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA 93740-8034, georgek@csufresno.edu

Published online: 1 December 2005

Abstract. On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Graham (1805–1869), the father of colloid chemistry, who is best known to chemical educators and beginning chemistry students as the discoverer of Graham’s Law, which governs the diffusion of gases, this article reviews Graham’s life and career and discusses his research on what would later become known as physical chemistry and on his most important contributions.

Key Words: Chemistry and History; biography; physical chemistry; colloid chemistry; gases; acids and salts; anniversaries

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: georgek@csufresno.edu)

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