Priestly, Joseph

Priestly, Joseph. (1733-1804). Bom near Leeds, England, Priestley originally planned to enter the ministry. As a youth he became interested in both physics and chemistry, and his research soon established his position as a scientist. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1766. He discovered nitrous oxide in 1772, but his greatest contribution to science was his discovery of oxygen in 1774. He emigrated from England to Northumberland, PA, where he lived from 1784 to his death. His research in America resulted in the discovery of carbon monoxide (1799). 

Some 500 years ago during Columbuss second voyage to what are now the Americas he and his crew saw children playing with balls made from the latex of trees that grew there Later Joseph Priest ley called this material rubber to describe its ability to erase pencil marks by rubbing and in 1823 Charles Macintosh demonstrated how rubber could be used to make waterproof coats and shoes Shortly there after Michael Faraday determined an empirical for mula of CsHs for rubber It was eventually determined that rubber is a polymer of 2 methyl 1 3 butadiene... 

The son of a tailor, Joseph Fourier was a member of a large family. Both of his parents died by the time he was nine. His education began at a local, church-run, military school, where he quickly showed talent in his studies and especially in mathematics. His school persuaded him to tram as a priest. While preparing to take holy orders he taught his fellow novices mathematics. Fourier may well have entered the priesthood, but due to the French Revolution new priests were banned from taking holy orders. Instead he returned to his home town of Auxerre and taught at the militaiy school. His friend and mathematics teacher, Bonard, encouraged him to develop his mathematical research, and at the end of 1789 Fourier travelled to Paris to report on this research to the Academic des Sciences. 

Joseph Priest Department of Physics Miami University... 

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