A young adult biography of chemist and physicist John Dalton

First published in 1967. The impression is sometimes given that the Atomic Theory was revived in the early years of the nineteenth century by John Dalton, and that continuously from then on it has played a vital role in chemistry. The aim of this study is to revise this over-simplified picture. Atomic explanations seemed to chemists to go beyond the facts, to fail to lend themselves to mathematical expression, and to deny the ultimate simplicity and unity of all matter. Most, therefore, rejected them. Meanwhile, physicists were developing a whole range of atomic theories to explain the physical properties of bodies in terms of very simple atoms or particles. During the last thirty years of the century the position changed, as physicists and chemists came to agree on a common atomic theory. But the last prominent opponents of atomism were not converted until the early years of the twentieth century, by which time studies of radioactivity had made it clear that the billiard-ball Daltonian atom must, in any case, be abandoned.

Chemical science has made major advances in the last few decades and has gradually transformed in to a highly multidisciplinary subject that is exciting academically and at the same time beneficial to human kind. In this context, we owe much to the foundations laid by great pioneers of chemistry who contributed new knowledge and created new directions. This book presents the lives and times of 21 great chemists starting from Lavoisier (18th century) and ending with Sanger. Then, there are stories of the great Faraday (19th century) and of the 20th century geniuses G N Lewis and Linus Pauling. The material in the book is presented in the form of stories describing important aspects of the lives of these great personalities, besides highlighting their contributions to chemistry. It is hoped that the book will provide enjoyable reading and also inspiration to those who wish to understand the secret of the creativity of these great chemists.