Robert Boyle: Beyond the Gas Law


The scientist, Robert Boyle, is famous for the gas law named after him. But he contributed to far more things in science, writes Paul Strathern in his wonderful history of chemistry, Mendeleyev’s Dream.

For starters, he revived the atomic theory. Almost everyone agreed that that since gases could be compressed (without any increase in their weight), it implied that “gases consisted of particles separated by a void”. Boyle extended the reasoning as follows: the “particles separated by a void” principle should apply to water vapour, a gas. Therefore, shouldn’t the same principle apply to water in liquid and solid states as well? And if it applied to water in all states, shouldn’t it apply to all substances? And thus was revived the atomic theory.

Boyle also defined what an element is: anything that could not be broken down into a simpler substance. But this definition had a problem:
“When a substance was found to be an element, this could only be a provisional state of affairs. It was always possible that someone would find a way of breaking down the substance still further.”

But Boyle didn’t stop there. He came to the (wrong) conclusion that metals were not elements. Ergo, it followed:
“If metals were not primary substances, one could be broken into its constituent elements and reassembled – or transmuted – into another. Lead could become silver, silver could become gold.”
And thus Boyle too “caught the alchemy bug”!

Today, we laugh at those who believed in alchemy. But through the ages, people believed it was possible. After all, so many substances changed into other things, so why couldn’t some things change into gold? If true, it was literally the road to untold riches (literally). And so the subject was deliberately garbled by alchemists through the ages: why make it easy for others to understand or read one’s notes on the subject?
“The blend of mysticism, the initiated, secret knowledge and the prospect of unlimited reward – this heady brew fulfils a primeval need.”
On the other hand, if alchemy was possible, it could ruin economies (it’s like the ability to print money!). And so many kings had banned alchemy for exactly that reason. Including Henry III of England.

Given his “alchemy bug”, what did Boyle do?
“He even used his influence in the Royal Society to press for repeal of the anti-alchemy law.”
Parliament repealed the law in 1689. And Boyle immediately encouraged scientists to “pursue this important quest”.

Oh well, at least Boyle’s “alchemical pursuits had a smidgeon of theoretical scientific justification”. Suddenly alchemy doesn’t sound so stupid, does it?

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