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Definition: Cavendish, Henry from Philip's Encyclopedia

English chemist and physicist, b. France. He discovered hydrogen and the compositions of water and air, and estimated the Earth's mass and density by a method now known as the 'Cavendish experiment'. He also discovered nitric acid (HNO3), the gravitational constant, measured the specific gravity of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen, and stated the inverse square law for the interaction of charged particles.

Cavendish, Henry (1731-1810)

From The Hutchinson Dictionary of Scientific Biography
Place : Italy Subject : biography, physics English natural philosopher whose main interests lay in the fields of chemistry and physics. His chief experimental work concerned gases, although he also carried out fundamental experiments concerning electricity and gravitation. He made the first determination of the gravitational constant and thereby obtained the first values for the mass and density of the Earth. He is also usually credited with the discovery of hydrogen. Cavendish was one of the few scientists to approach Newton's standard in both mathematical and experimental skills and was a major figure in 18th-century science. He devoted his entire life to the acquisition of knowledge, but published only those results that satisfied him completely. Most of his work, especially his experiments with electricity, were unknown for a hundred years or more, so the immediate impact of his work was far less than it might have been. Cavendish was born in Nice on 10 October 1731. He was of…
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Full text Article Cavendish, Henry

From Philip's Encyclopedia
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Full text Article Cavendish, Henry (1731-1810)

From The Hutchinson Dictionary of Scientific Biography
Place : Italy Subject : biography, physics English natural philosopher whose main interests lay in the fields of chemistry and physics. His chief experimental work concerned gases, although he also carried out fundamental experiments concerning electricity and gravitation. He made the first…
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Full text Article Cavendish, Henry (1731–1810).

From The Oxford Companion to British History
Cavendish worked on the boundary of physics and chemistry. A nephew of the 3rd duke of Devonshire, and a wealthy man, he studied in Cambridge and in Paris, before living as a recluse in London, though he became an important figure in scientific life. He worked in the new field of pneumatic…
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Henry Cavendish, F.R.S. (1731-1810), 19th c. (pen, ink and wash)
Artist: English School, (19th century) Location: Private Collection Credit: Henry Cavendish, F.R.S. (1731-1810), 19th c. (pen, ink and wash), English School, (19th century) / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Date: 19th c. Medium: pen, ink and wash Description: experiments with air and…
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Full text Article Cavendish

From Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary Full text Article Biographical Names
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Full text Article Cavendish experiment

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
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Full text Article hydrogen

From The Chambers Dictionary
a gaseous element (symbol H ; atomic no 1) which in combination with oxygen produces water, is the lightest of all known substances, and very inflammable, and (in water or heavy water) is of great importance in the moderation (slowing down) of neutrons. [Coined by English chemist Henry Cavendish…
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Full text Article hydrogen

From Astronomy Encyclopedia
First and lightest of the chemical elements; it is the most abundant element in the Universe ( See ASTROCHEMISTRY ). Hydrogen-1 (that is, an atom with a single proton as its nucleus with a single electron attached to it) forms almost 100% of the naturally occurring element and has an atomic number…
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English chemist and physicist Henry Cavendish was distinguished for the great accuracy and precision of his scientific research. He was especially noted for his experiment to determine the weight of the Earth, which has come to be known as the Cavendish experiment. Cavendish was born on October 10, …
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