Znaczenie Walthera Nernsta dla i w chemii

• Authors: Buszewski Bogusław

Title variants

EN

The significance of Walther H. Nernst for chemistry

DE

Walther Nernsts Bedeutung für und in der Chemie

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

This study is an abbreviated version of a paper delivered at a symposium held at the Collegium Humanisticum of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń on 19 November 2022, on the 80th anniversary of the death of Walhter Hermann Nernst. The Author believes that W. H. Nernst as a physico-chemist operated at the intersection of the two fields of science, and that his achievements are of fundamental importance for the theoretical foundations of phenomena occurring at the interface in solutions, as well as for the unit processes related to the thermodynamics of these phenomena. Analysing Walther Nernst’s scientific achievements in the field of chemistry, B. Buszewski considered the following to be the most important: osmotic theory of galvanic cells – galvanic cell potential equation (1889), introduction of the concept of the solubility product of poorly soluble salts in the Nernst equation, development of a buffer solution concept, discovery of the law of separation of a chemical substance dissolved in two liquids, which do not dissolve (mix) one into the other – extraction, study of gas equilibria at high temperatures – N2 + 3H2 < => 2NH3, study of the kinetics of chemical reactions in heterogeneous systems, formulation of the third law of thermodynamics (1906–1912), which states that the entropy of a perfect crystal (elements and compounds) approaches zero and finally winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry „in recognition of his work in thermochemistry” (December 10th, 1920). In the second part of the article, the Author, following the findings of J. Szudy, constructed a sort of lineage tree of the impact of the achievements of W. Nernst, without whom there would have been no progress, development or worldwide success in physicochemical separation techniques (chromatography, extraction, flotation and membrane techniques).

• Publisher: Muzeum w Grudziądzu
• Journal: Rocznik Grudziądzki
• Year: 2022
• Volume: 30
• Pages: 61-75

Dates

published

2022

Contributors

author

Buszewski Bogusław

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5482-7500