William Nicholson (chemist)

William Nicholson ( * probably on June 1, 1753 in London, † May 21, 1815 in Bloomsbury in London ) was a British electrical chemist who was also a writer on natural philosophy and chemical issues, as well as translators, journalists, publishers, scientists and 1790 inventor of the hydrometer ( hydrometer ) and 1800 discoverer of electrolysis.

His exact birth date is unknown, since the 18th century it was common practice to record only the year of birth, but not the day and month. The date of June 1, 1753 is called by the DGPT

After school, he participated in two cruises in part as a midshipman in the service of the British East India Company. Then he began to practice as a lawyer, and when he had worked, he went in 1775 with Josiah Wedgwood to Amsterdam, where he lived as a sales agent for pottery several years.

He invented around 1790, a hydrometer. Nicholson has called his invention, Hydrometer with weights " hydrometer ". The device used to measure the density of liquids. It resembles a unit of Fahrenheit. Due to this source, the invention could also date from 1787 or before.

In 1797 he began to publish and contributions for the Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry and the Arts, which is also commonly known as Nicholson 's Journal to write - the first work of its kind in the UK; the series was continued until 1814. In 1799 he founded a school in London, Soho Square, where he taught natural philosophy and chemistry.

In 1800, he discovered Anthony Carlisle electrolysis, with which you could split water by the galvanic current from a voltaic pile (battery, after Alessandro Volta ) into hydrogen and oxygen. During his later years he was mainly concerned with water supply plant in Portsmouth, Gosport and in Southwark.

In addition to significant contributions to the Philosophical Transactions Nicholson wrote translations of Fourcroy Chemistry ( 1787) and Chaptal's Chemistry ( 1788), First Principles of Chemistry ( 1788) and a chemistry dictionary ( 1795); he also gave the British Encyclopaedia, or Dictionary of Arts and Sciences ( Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, 6 volumes, London, 1809) out. He also wrote an autobiography, which was still present at the end of the 19th century, but after this probably was lost.

1808 Nicholson became a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.

William Nicholson died on 21 May 1815 in Bloomsbury ( London) at the age of almost 62 years.