Lothar Meyer
(19 August 1830 – 11 April 1895)
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Julius Lothar Meyer
Julius Lothar Meyer
Introduction:
Introduction:
Julius Lothar Meyer was a German chemist, professor, and author. He was one of two scientists to independently discover the periodic law of chemical elements and introduced the earliest Periodic Tables of the chemical elements.
Background:
Background:
Family -
In 1830, Julius Lothar Meyer was born into a medical family in Varel, Germany.
His father and grandfather were physicians and his mother often assisted at operations.
University of Zurich
University of Würzburg
Heidelberg University
Education -
Meyer studied in a private school.
At the age of fourteen, Meyer suffered from severe headaches. Hence, his father placed him as an assistant at the Grand Duke of Oldenburg's summer palace. He then developed an interest in nature.
Meyer studied in several universities:
1851-1853 : University of Zurich
1853-1854 : University of Würzburg
Meyer’s original intention was to devote himself to medicine. In 1854, he graduated as Doctor in Medicine at Wurzburg.
1854-1856 : Heidelberg University
Meyer came under the influence of Robert Bunsen and Kirchhoff, who were discovering new chemical elements, by analysing their emission spectra.
Since then, he became interested in gas analysis work and chemicals.
1856-1858 : University of Königsberg
Meyer was influenced by the mathematical teaching of Gustav Kirchhoff. Hence, he took up the study of mathematical physics, under the guidance of F. Neumann.
In 1859, Meyer received his certification for university teaching. He taught physics and chemistry at the University of Breslau.
In 1860, he attended the first International Chemical Congress and had been impressed by Stanislao Cannizzaro's proposed solution to atomic weights.
In 1876, he became Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tübingen.
University of Königsberg
University of Breslau (Wrocław)
University of Tübingen
Personal Relationship -
In 1866, Meyer married Johanna Volkmann.
Meyer worked with Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev and German chemist Robert Bunsen.
Death -
Meyer became a teacher until his death.
On April 11, 1895, Meyer died from a stroke at the age of 64.
Contributions to Chemistry:
Contributions to Chemistry:
In 1872, Meyer was the first to suggest that the six carbon atoms in the benzene ring were interconnected by single bonds only, the fourth valence of each carbon atom being directed toward the interior of the ring.
“Die modernen Theorien der Chemie" (“Modern Chemical Theory”).
In 1864, Meyer published the first edition of the work.
He traced relations between the atomic weights and the chemical values for the organization of 28 elements.
Showed the helpfulness of theories on empirical investigations.
“Die Atomgewichte der Elemente aus den Originalzahlen neu berechnet”
In 1883, Profs. Meyer and Karl Seubert recalculated the atomic weights of the elements from the original data.
Karl Seubert
Lothar Meyer was an investigator in experimental chemistry. He has published memoirs of subjects in almost every branch of the science
Atomic weight of beryllium
Determinations of vapor densities
Combustion of carbon monoxide
Preparation of hydroiodic acid
Transpiration of gases, oil and various organic compounds
Meyer determined that carbon monoxide was able to displace oxygen from the blood. However, he was unable to identify the particular component in the blood responsible for binding.
In 1840, this substance was identified as hemoglobin by Felix Hoppe-Seyler. For this work, Meyer received his Ph.D.
The Features of Periodic Table by Lothar Meyer:
The Features of Periodic Table by Lothar Meyer:
In Meyer’s 1864 Periodic Table
In “Die modernen Theorien der Chemie", Meyer adopted and popularized the Avogadro Hypothesis as proposed by Cannizzaro.
His text contained three tables containing 28 elements, classified elements into six families.
He ordered the elements with increasing atomic weights and grouped them according to their valences.
The empty slots in the table were an indication of the existence of undiscovered elements.
At a time when much of the world was still debating whether atoms really exist as the smallest entities of matter, Meyer pondered the possible nature of atoms.
In Meyer’s 1868 Periodic Table
Meyer predicted the existence of undiscovered elements but did not elaborate on the properties of unknown elements, which Mendeleev did.
This is why most people give the first credit to Mendeleev, not Meyer, for the development of the Periodic Table.
In Meyer’s 1870 Periodic Table
Meyer arranged 56 elements in a valence table and plotted the graph of atomic volume against atomic mass of elements.
He proved the recurrence in properties of elements were in a periodic pattern with their atomic volume.
He realized that elements with similar chemical properties occupied the same relative positions on the curve.
Alkali metals, Li, Na, K, Cs are located at the peaks of the curve (more electropositive elements)
Halogens, F, Cl, Br, I are located at the slopes of the curve.
In 1870, based on these findings, Lothar Meyer compiled a Periodic Table of 56 elements as he incorporated additional elements, particularly transition metals known at that time.
He arranged them in ascending order of atomic masses based on the periodicity of properties such as atomic volume.
The table was divided into nine groups.
Awards and Honors:
Awards and Honors:
Davy Medal (1882)
Lothar Meyer and Dmitri Mendeleev received this for the discovery of the periodic relations of the atomic weights.
Fun Facts:
Fun Facts:
On 19 August 2020, Google celebrated Lothar Meyer’s 190th birthday with a Google Doodle.
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