Robert Boyle: biography and contributions of this researcher

Robert Boyle was a philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor, also standing out for the study of religion (specifically he was a Christian theologian).

He was especially interested in experimental science, focusing at first on the study of gases, a fact that allowed him to develop his known Boyle's Law or Boyle-Mariotte Law, which establishes an inverse relationship between the volume that the gas occupies and its pressure, considering temperature constant.

Such was his passion for researching and inventing that he made a list of possible inventions that he foresaw in the future; in the same way when he saw that his health was weakening he left various chemical investigations prepared or planned with the purpose that his followers would carry them out.

In this Robert Boyle biography We will see the most remarkable events and events in the life of this researcher, highlighting the contributions that he made to science.

• Related article: "The 10 branches of Physics and their fields of knowledge"

Brief Biography of Robert Boyle

Robert Boyle was born on January 25, 1627 in Waterford, Ireland. He was fortunate to be born into a noble family, thus living in a privileged situation. He was the fourteenth son (in total there were fifteen) of Richard Boyle, who was Earl of Cork and was linked to politics and the industry and the administrative sphere, and Catherine Fenton, also of aristocratic descent and who was the second wife of the count. For this reason, Robert Boyle spent part of his childhood in Lismore Castle.

Childhood years

Economic facilities and high family status allowed Boyle to receive a good education and training from a very young age; thus, he studied Greek, French, and Latin.

At the age of eight, after losing his mother, he entered Elton College, which is a boarding school for children only. In order to continue training and given the privileged situation that he lived, with only fifteen years he was able to reside in Genoa for two years accompanied by a French tutor. In this way he had the opportunity to get to know Italy better and study the theories and contributions of Galileo Galilei, very prominent multi-faceted author in the field of science.

• You may be interested in: "Ernest Rutherford: biography and contributions of this New Zealand physicist"

Return to England and years of youth

After his departure for Italy in 1641 he finally returned to England in 1644; on his arrival he was given the will of his father, who had died the previous year in the period that he was living in Italy.

Of the different properties that he acquired, it was in the house in Dorset, England, where he decided to build a laboratory. It was at that moment when he decided that he would choose scientific research as a field of study, surely influenced by the training he received during his trip and the knowledge of the Theories of Galileo Galilei.

Boyle joined a group of researchers that he himself called "Invisible College", formed by philosophers with a scientific tendency, whose main objective was to acquire knowledge based on experimental research. Also, this group of "modern philosophers" regularly held meetings in the city of London at both Gresham College and Oxford.

During the period that he resided in Oxford, he was Cavalier, a group formed by those who were followers and supported King Charles I in the period of the English civil war., although not much is known what Boyle's role in this group was, since opposition forces during his participation were effective, a fact that made the Cavaliers have to act in the most secret way possible.

• Related article: "The 4 main types of science (and their fields of research)"

Consolidation of your professional life

In 1652, after coming and going from Ireland, Boyle decided to settle permanently in one of his estates, but his stay was short, only lasting two years. In 1654 he would return to England, since he considered that Ireland was not ready to continue with his scientific investigations; He considered that at that time he could not obtain new chemical instruments nor did its inhabitants have the ability to understand his research or advances.

On his return to London, specifically to Oxford, he rented several rooms in the Cross Hall area.

A) Yes he was able to assist, between 1656 and 1668, Robert Hooke, considered one of the most important experimental researchers in history, in his works perfecting the air pump created by Otto von Guericke.

It was in 1659 when he presented the "Boylean machine" or also known as "pneumatic motor", thus beginning a period of study of the physical properties of air and its role in the processes of respiration, sound transmission and combustion.

In this way, with the results obtained in his experiments on air, he was able to write and publish a book in 1660. entitled "New physical-mechanical experiments on the elasticity of air and its effects", presenting in the second edition of this his famous and recognized law named in Europe as the Boyle-Mariotte Law, since Edme Mariotte also discovered this law independently of Boyle. This law states that at constant temperature the volume occupied by a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure, that is, the more the volume occupied, the less pressure and vice versa.

Currently this law is still known, but it has been added that for it to be fulfilled, an ideal theoretical behavior of the gas would be necessary.

The following year, in 1661, He presented his second work with the title "The Skeptic Chemist", which would thus imply the establishment of Chemistry as a science. The content of this work is important and notable for criticizing Aristotle's theory of the 4 elements that combined to form the matter: water, earth, fire and air, and the three principles of Paracelsus, who said that every being is made up of salt, mercury and sulfur.

Conversely, Boyle believed that matter was formed from the combination of fundamental particles, a concept that he proposed himself. This theory was premonitory and was not misguided, since 100 years later Antonie Lavoisier and John dalton Through the discoveries they made they were able to affirm it, thus giving rise to the beginning of modern Chemistry.

In 1663 the group of philosophers, which as we have already said he baptized as the Invisible College, became what today we know as the Royal Society of London, considered the oldest scientific society in the United Kingdom and one of the oldest of Europe. It was the King of England himself, Charles II, who chose Boyle as a member of the council, giving him in 1680 the honor of being president of the Royal Society although this time he did not accept as he preferred to continue focused on his work and research.

His ability to foresee or visionary ability has also been reflected in a list of inventions that he made, citing for example “the art of fly "," a practical and accurate way to determine lengths "," perpetual light "or" drugs to calm pain and awaken memory ", among others. So we see how most of these inventions or discoveries have been able to be carried out later.

As we have seen, his great interest in experimental science made him also embark on other studies such as the calcination of different metals, which consists of heating them to very high temperatures so that thermal decomposition or change of physical or chemical state occurs, or What the distinction between alkaline and acidic substances, which would allow the constitution of chemical indicators, which have the ability to indicate whether a substance is an acid or a weak base.

• You may be interested in: "The 5 ages of History (and their characteristics)"

His last years in London

In 1668 he moved to London to live with his sister Lady Ranelagh. with which he remained until her death, only a week before his. In 1689 his state of health began to become weaker and more delicate, a fact that led him to decide to withdraw more and more from public life, not being In this way he so participates in the Royal Society and thus be able to focus on leaving some chemical research prepared or thought as a legacy for his followers of him.

His health did not improve, and on December 31, 1691, he died of paralysis. He is buried in the St Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican Church Cemetery, the burial mass was performed by Bishop Gilbert Burnet, a friend of the deceased.

Given his belief in the Christian faith, he wrote in his will that part of his money was destined to translate and publish the gospels in Gaelic and Turkish, with the purpose of evangelizing, that is, making known and spreading the Christianity. In the same way, established that a conference be held annually in order to support and defend Christianity; these took place every year until the end of the 20th century.

Currently, since 2004, the realization of these conferences has been promoted again, being held in London in the church of St Mary-le-Bow, in which there is the participation of a theologian or scientist with the aim of raising and dealing with issues related to Christianity and the current understanding of the world natural.