Contents
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
Developing the chemical symbols and atomic measurements used to describe matter.
Chemistry textbook · Chemical notation
- Born
- 20 August 1779
- Birthplace
- Sweden
- Died
- 7 August 1848
More people
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
Jöns Jacob Berzelius was a Swedish chemist who made chemistry more systematic through meticulous analysis. He measured atomic weights, investigated new elements and helped establish a shared chemical vocabulary.
Early life
Childhood
Lost both parents while young and was raised with help from relatives.
Training
Studied medicine at Uppsala and learned practical laboratory skills in a pharmacy.
Career
- 1802
Physician
Qualified as a doctor.
- 1807
Professor
Became a professor at Stockholm’s Medical College.
- 1818
Academy leadership
Became secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
- 1835
Catalysis
Introduced the term for substances that promote chemical reactions.
Scientific work
Chemistry textbook
Began publishing a textbook grounded in experimental analysis.
Chemical notation
Promoted letter-based symbols for elements.
Selenium
Discovered the element with Johan Gottlieb Gahn.
Beyond work
Scientific friendships
Maintained extensive correspondence with researchers across Europe.
Travel
Visited Britain in 1812 and met scientists including Humphry Davy and William Herschel.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and career evidence ↗Photo: John Way [1]. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
