Cavendish, Henry

From Philosopedia

Cavendish, Henry (1731—1810) Cavendish, one of the great British pioneers of the science of chemistry, was a recluse and most of his writings were published posthumously. His chief researches were on heat, in which he determined the specific heats for a number of substances, although his findings were not recognized until later. He wrote on the composition of air; on the nature and properties of a gas that he isolated and described as “inflammable air,” now known as hydrogen; and on the composition of water, which he demonstrated to consist of oxygen and “inflammable air.” He determined that the density of the earth led him to state it as 5.48 times that of water. His biographer, G. Wilson, quotes his attitude on religion from a contemporary scientist: “As to Cavendish’s religion, he was nothing at all.” He never went to church. Cambridge University is the site of the Cavendish Physical Laboratory, named in his honor. {CE; JM; RAT; RE}