Van Helmont, Jan Baptista
Published: September 25, 2006, 10:10 pm
Updated: September 25, 2006, 10:10 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter Saundry
Jan Baptista Van Helmont (1577–1644), a Flemish physician, chemist, and physicist who made an important early contribution to our understanding of photosynthesis and chemistry. He performed a classic experiment where he measured the mass of a potted willow tree grown for 5 years in a tightly controlled environment. He discovered that the mass of the entire plant was far more than the weight of the displaced original 200 pounds of soil. This led him to reject the commonly held notion that plants were fed exclusively by the soil. He also discovered carbon dioxide and went on to distinguish gases as a class of substances (as contrasted with solids and liquids); he is credited with introducing the term gas in its present scientific sense.
Further Readings
J. Van Helmont- Chemistry Chronicle (Today's Chemist at Work)
History of Chemistry (historyworld.net)
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Van Helmont, Jan Baptista". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 25, 2006; Last revised Date September 25, 2006; Retrieved May 25, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Van_Helmont,_Jan_Baptista>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Jan Baptista Van Helmont (1577–1644), a Flemish physician, chemist, and physicist who made an important early contribution to our understanding of photosynthesis and chemistry. He performed a classic experiment where he measured the mass of a potted willow tree grown for 5 years in a tightly controlled environment. He discovered that the mass of the entire plant was far more than the weight of the displaced original 200 pounds of soil. This led him to reject the commonly held notion that plants were fed exclusively by the soil. He also discovered carbon dioxide and went on to distinguish gases as a class of substances (as contrasted with solids and liquids); he is credited with introducing the term gas in its present scientific sense.
Further Readings
J. Van Helmont- Chemistry Chronicle (Today's Chemist at Work)
History of Chemistry (historyworld.net)
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