Boyle, Robert
Achievements: An early user of the scientific method and a founder of modern chemistry.
Born: 25th January 25, 1627; Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland.
Died: 30th December 30, 1691; London, England (Aged 64)
Field & Discipline: Science; Chemistry; Physics
Language: English
Education: Eton College (1635-38)
Major Work:
“New Experiments Physio-Mechanical, Touching the Spring of the Air and its Effects” (1660)
Life & Times:
In 1639, Robert Boyle went on a tour of Europe with Francis, his older brother, and a private tutor. They spent 21 months in Geneva, where Boyle studied French, mathematics and the polite arts, which included dancing and fencing. While he was in Geneva, he became greatly influenced by the Calvinist movement. From Switzerland, he moved to Florence in 1641, where, over a year, he mastered Italian and was introduced to the new science, reading “Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems” by [studied work of] Galileo*, who died during his stay there in early 1642.
Boyle went back to Geneva, then home to Ireland in 1644 and, although he had inherited the impoverished manor of Stalbridge in Dorset, England, chose instead to stay for a year in London with his favourite sister, the brilliant Katherine, Lady Ranelagh. She was a strong Parliamentarian and a friend of [a pal of] Milton*, who introduced him to, among others, the educationalist [a pal of] Hartlib*, who became a lifelong friend.
In 1645, Boyle moved to his Dorset estate, where he began experimental work. Having developed a fascination for chemistry and alchemy, Boyle read all the available works on the subjects and built himself a private laboratory. He occasionally went to London, where, through his sister, he met [a pal of] Wilkins* and [a pal of] Petty* and attended a few of the early informal meetings ("Invisible College" envisioned by Kepler, Bacon and Brahe) which would, fifteen years later, become the [founder member of] Royal Society*.
Between 1652 and 1653, Boyle spent time in Ireland sorting out the family estates. While he was there, he renewed his acquaintance with Sir William Petty, who taught him about anatomy, physiology and the experimental technique. When Boyle went back to England, he was invited by Wilkins, now Warden of Wadham College, to join him in Oxford, where most of the leaders of the English scientific movement were living. In 1654, Boyle moved into lodgings in the city, bringing with him his own chemist, a Mr Staehl from Strasbourg, as a technical tutor.
The following year, Boyle published his first work, a collection of moral essays called “Occasional Reflections upon Several Subjects,” one of which, “Upon the Eating of Oysters,” is thought to have inspired [inspired] Swift* to write “Gulliver's Travels” in 1726. From 1654 until 1668, Boyle, who set up what became a famous laboratory, took on [was assisted by] Hooke* as his assistant, and mixed with many important intellectuals, including Wilkins, [a pal of] Wallis*, [a pal of] Wren*, [a pal of] Sprat*, and the students [a pal of] Sydenham* and [a pal of] Locke*.
In 1657, Boyle heard about [inspired by] Guericke*'s invention of an air pump and, recognizing straight away its scientific possibilities, he set his assistants the job of designing an improved version. Hooke, an inventor himself and later to become Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society, produced the perfect design. Together, he and Boyle built the pump that would allow Boyle to conduct a brilliant series of experiments on the physical nature of air, in which he proved, following [inspired by] Torricelli*'s work on the vacuum ten years before, that air was necessary for combustion and respiration.
Then, following the experiments of [improved on work by] Mersenne*, Boyle proved that air was essential for the transmission of sound and that air was elastic. Boyle described these experiments in 1660, in his first published scientific work, “New Experiments Physio-Mechanical, Touching the Spring of the Air and its Effects.” In the second edition two years later, he added what became known as “Boyle's Law,” stating that if the temperature and quantity of a gas remain constant, the volume varies inversely with the pressure.
Fourteen years later, this law was independently stated by [work related to] Mariotte*, and became known in France as “Mariotte's Law.” Right through his life, Boyle continued experimenting with the air pump, among other things showing that fruits and vegetables contained air (in fact carbon dioxide) that they gave off during fermentation. In his two publications of 1661, “Certain Physiological Essays” and “The Sceptical Chymist,” Boyle's first aim was to disprove the old theory of the “four elements”: earth, air, fire, and water, as well as the “three principles”: salt, sulphur, and mercury, and to put a mechanical theory of matter in their place.
Boyle's other objective was to show that the best way to demonstrate the mechanical view was by the use of careful and methodical experimentation, and in 1662 and 1663 he was involved a long argument with the philosopher [argued with] Spinoza* on the question of whether experiment would provide proof. According to Spinoza, as a follower of Descartes, only logical thought could provide the conviction necessary for proof, while experiment could only confirm or maybe deny. To Boyle, experiment was an essential ingredient of proof.
With little support at first, Boyle's views gradually gained ground and greatly influenced the development of the experimental method in the late 17th century by [influenced] Newton*, one of John Locke’s most faithful followers. During the 1660s, Boyle carried out investigation into physic as well, including the gas laws, the expansion of water on freezing, hydrostatic pressure, specific gravity, the refractive index, color and electricity. In the first few years of the decade, he published three works showing the results of his studies, “Experiments and Considerations Touching Colors,” in 1664, “New Experiments and Observations Touching Cold” in 1665 and “Hydrostatic Paradoxes” a year later.
He became a founder member of the Royal Society in 1660, wrote treatises on natural theology in the manner of his friends Wilkins, [a pal of] Tillotson* and [a pal of] Barrow* and continued to study Christianity, learning Hebrew, Greek, Chaldean and Syriac. In 1668, because of ill health, Boyle finally left Oxford for London, where he became friendly with the diarist [a pal of] Evelyn* and carried on experimenting.
He was also a member of the [member of] East India Company* and a governor of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
Boyle became famous in his own lifetime and was visited by many foreigners of distinction, including the physicist [worked with] Papin*, with whom he worked during the late 1670s. In 1680, he was asked to become President of the Royal Society, but refused the job because. He retired from the Royal Society in 1689.
Extra Connections:
Knew the poet [knew] Dryden*.
His work related to that of [work related to] Gassendi*
He knew [knew] Oldenburg*, [knew] Sloane* and [knew] Winthrop*
Was influenced by [influenced by] William Gilbert*
[influenced work of] Haukesbee* repeated his experiments
[gave demo to] Christiaan Huyghens* saw his vacuum experiments
He used the [used] camera obscura*
He knew the work of fellow-member of the Royal Society [knew work of] Leeuwenhoek*
He was an early exponent of the [exponent of theory of] miasma* theory
He met [met] Leibniz*
Saw instrument from the [knew of] Accademia del Cimento*
He admired the work of [a fan of] Oughtred*
Assessment: Boyle is considered one of the founders of the modern scientific method, because of his belief in the necessity of objective observation and experimentation in scientific studies, and his devotion to verifiable laboratory experiments.
Oneliner: Robert Boyle, experimenter and founder-member of Royal Society
Bibliography:
- Pilkington, Roger, Robert Boyle: Father of Chemistry, London, John Murray, 1958.
Father: Richard Boyle, first Earl of Cork (d. 1643)
Mother: Katherine Fenton (d. 1630).
Siblings: Thirteen older siblings, most notably Katherine, Lady Ranelagh (1614-91); Margaret
Spouse: None
Children: None