Johann Josef Loschmidt

Johann Josef Loschmidt (March 15th 1821 - July 8th 1895) was a Physicien and Austrian Chimiste .

Biography

Born with Počerny close to Karlovy Vary (in the area of the Sudètes, at present the Area of Karlovy Vary of the Czech Republic) in a family to poor farmers, it can thanks to the recommendation of a priest undertake studies which lead it to Prague in 1837, where it can be registered at the German-speaking university in 1839. In 1841, it goes to Vienna, and it leaves graduate in Chimie and Physique the polytechnic institute in 1846. Not managing to obtain a scientific station, he works in a factory of Papeterie, before creating his own company of production of Nitrate of potassium. After the bankruptcy of this one, he works as teacher. In 1866, it obtains a place with the Université of Vienna, where he becomes professor-assistant in 1868. It is named physical professor of Chimie in 1872, station which it occupies until 1891.

Work

Its research tasks relate to the Thermodynamique, the electrodynamic , the Optique and the Cristallographie. In 1856, it determines the size of the molecules constituting the Air. In 1861, it determines a structure of the molecule of Benzène which will be used as a basis for work of Kekulé. In 1865, it is the first to determine the number of Avogadro (called nowadays Nombre of Avogadro, this number is still sometimes called number of Loschmidt in the German-speaking countries). It also determines the composition of the Ozone.

Loschmidt takes its scientific retirement in 1891, before dying out with Vienna in 1895.

Thanks to the quality of its work, he was member of the Academy of Science of Austria.

A commemorative stamp was emitted in 1995 by the Austrian post office at the time of the centenary of its death.

See too

External bonds

the stamp with the effigy of Josef Loschmidt

Sources

Peter Mr. Schuster: From Curiosity to Passion: Loschmidt' S Road from Philosophy to Natural Science , in: W. Fleischhacker and T. Schönfeld (Editors): Pioneering Ideas for the Physical and Chemical Sciences , Proceedings off the Josef Loschmidt Symposium, held in Vienna, Austria, June 25-27, 1995; Plenum Near, 1997, New York. - ISBN 0-306-45684-2

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