Jacques Alexandre César Charles

The scientist

As much of scientists of this time, he studies and tests in many fields. Specialized in work on gases, he particularly studies their density and their capacity of dilation. He will confirm the result of Henry Cavendish on the Hydrogène, which is fourteen times lighter than the air.

In 1787, it is the first to formulate the “law of the dilation of gases”. But it does not publish its results and they are only fifteen years later, in 1802, that the chemist Louis-Joseph Gay-Lussac compiles them and compares them with his to formulate the law which bears its name, the Loi of Gay-Lussac. The formula connecting pressure and temperature of a perfect gas to constant volume on the other hand bears the name of Loi of Charles.

It is named with the Academy of Science member residing of the 1 Class of the National institute of sciences and arts in the section of experimental physics per decree of the executive Directoire the 29 brumaire year IV (November 20th 1795).

The aeronaut

The first Balloon with gas

Charles could produce Hydrogène and tried out in his courses the upward force of this gas by insufflating it in soap bubbles. When the news of the experiment of Annonay of the Frères Montgolfier is propagated, it knows that it will be able to benefit from hydrogen to raise men in the air.

The geologist and vulcanologist Barthelemy Faujas of Saint-Bottom lance a subscription to at the time finance the construction of a balloon, called “sphere”, which brings back ten thousand books. On arrival of Etienne Montgolfier in Paris, Barthelemy launches a new subscription.

Charles makes build by Anne-Jean and Marie No5el Robert, manufacturers of measuring devices, a made balloon of a silk fabric waterproofed by a varnish containing rubber. It is a small spherical balloon 4 meters in diameter and a volume of 33 m ³. In the place of the hot air used by the Brothers Montgolfier, it uses Hydrogène, much lighter than the air. It produces it in great quantity by pouring vitriolic acid (Acid sulphuric) on iron filings.

The swelling of the balloon starts on August 24th and lasts four days. August 27th, the balloon flies away vacuum of the Field-of-March and traverses 16 kilometers until Gonesse.

Manned flight

The competition is launched between the Frères Montgolfier and Charles, between “Montgolfiéristes and Carolingiens”. September 19th takes place a demonstration of Etienne with animals, then, on November 21st, the first flight with human beings. A Montgolfière takes off with Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d' Arlandes.

During this time, Charles and the Frères Robert manufacture a balloon able to carry two people, that is to say of a volume of 380 m ³ (2 200 m ³ for the montgolfier). It is Charles who designs the equipment which still equips the balloons with gas with today: the nacelle in wicker, the valve, the net and suspending rods, piloting with the ballast.

December 1st 1783, is ten days later, the balloon with gas inflated with hydrogen flies away with Charles and No5el Robert in the garden of the Tuileries. The balloon flies during two hours and is posed with Nesles after having traversed 35 kilometers. The duke of Chartres and the duke of Fitz-James follow the balloon to horse and sign the official report. No5el Robert once descended, the balloon sets out again with a high climbing speed and goes up at an altitude of 3.300 m, measured with precision using a barometer: Charles had also invented the altimeter. Seized by the freezing cold, it goes down again and lands in the night in the surroundings of Nesles. This exploit is worth has Jacques Charles a great popularity, but it will not fly any more.

Charles had married a creole woman much young person than him, Julie Bouchaud of Hérettes (1784-1817). The poet Alphonse of Lamartine éprit of it in 1816. She died the following year, inspiring to the poet the famous worms Lac ( poetic Méditations , 1820).

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