Bachman, Michal. "Davy." Davy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://canov.jergym.cz/objevite/objev/davy.htm>.\n"Biographical Information." Davy | Sir | Humphry | 1778-1829 | Natural Philosopher. NAHSTE, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.\n<http://www.nahste.ac.uk/isaar/GB_0237_NAHSTE_P0175.html>.\nDavy, Humphry, and John Davy. The Collected Works of Sir Humphry Davy. Edited by His Brother, John Davy. London: Smith, Elder, 1839. Print.\n"Early Acid Base History." Early Acid Base History. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://dwb4.unl.edu/Chem/CHEM869R/CHEM869RLinks/www.nidlink.com/7Ejfromm/lavoisier.htm>.\n"Humphry Davy." Chemical Heritage Foundation. Chemical Heritage Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/electrochemistry/davy.aspx>.\n"Humphry Davy." Humphry Davy. Soylent Communications, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://www.nndb.com/people/028/000083776/>.\n"Michael Faraday." Homepage of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/electrochemistry/faraday.aspx>.\nSimkin, John. "Humphry Davy." : Biography. Spartacus Educational, Sept. 1997. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SCdavy.htm>.\nSong, Kimberly. "Electrolysis." Chemwiki. UC Davis, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Analytical_Chemistry/Electrochemistry/Electrolytic_Cells/Electrolysis>.

Sir Humphry Davy spent his last months partially paralyzed through stroke. "While in Rome, he had a heart attack and later died on May 29, 1829 in Geneva, Switzerland" (Bachman).\n\n[[Bibliography|Bibliography]]\n\nDavy at age 23\n[img[davy23.jpg]] \nhttp://canov.jergym.cz/objevite/objev/davy.htm \n\n

Electrolysis is a process used to separate a substance into its original elements. This is achieved by sending an electric current through an electrolyte and into a solution, stimulating the flow of ions (Song). \n\n[[back|Accomplishments]]\n\n[img[electrolysis.jpg]] \nhttp://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/hydrogen-electrolysis.html

Sir Humphry Davy was born on December 17, 1778 at Penzance, Cornwall, England. As a child, he was "fond of composing verses, sketching, making fireworks, fishing, shooting, and collecting minerals" (Bachman). He was quite intelligent and gifted from a young age, and was [[educated|Education]] at a grammar school in Penzance and Truror.

Antoine Lavoisier's theory "was that acidity was caused by the presence of oxygen in a compound" ("Early Acid Base History"). This conclusion was published around April 1776 and stated that oxygen was responsible for the "generic property of acid". The other part of the compound was called an "acidifiable base". It was responsible for the specific properties of the acid. ("Early Acid Base History")\n\n[[back|Accomplishments]]

This project will walk you through the life and achievements of the chemist Sir Humphry Davy. \nHere is a table of contents should you wish to revisit any of the information:\n\n[[Birth|Birth]]\n[[Education|Education]]\n[[Early Influences|Influences]]\n[[Accomplishments|Accomplishments]]\n[[Contemporaries|Contemporaries]] \n[[Death|Death]] \n[[Bibliography|Bibliography]] \n\nBut of course, the best place to start is at the [[beginning|Birth]] \n\n[img[davyportrait.jpg]] \nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_Humphry_Davy,_Bt_by_Thomas_Phillips.jpg

His earliest experiments were performed on nitrous oxide (laughing gas) by inhaling it himself and studying its effects. \n\nMost notably, Davy discovered several new elements. Starting from 1807, he succeeded in using [[electrolysis|Electrolysis]] to isolate new metals such as potassium, sodium, barium, strontium, calcium, and magnesium. Of course, several chemists before him (including Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and Jöns Jacob Berzelius) had done work with electrolysis and elements, but Davy was the first to isolate the pure metals (Bachman). This was significant because he contributed to the study of alkaline-earth metals and other elements.\n\nIn 1810, Davy also proved that chlorine was an element instead of a compound containing oxygen. This disproved the [[oxygen theory of acids|Oxygen Theory]]. He went on to suggest that all acids contain hydrogen, which was later proved correct (Simkin). \n\nDavy invented a safety lamp for miners in 1815. Methane gas in coal mines would often cause dangerous explosions around lamps, so he designed a lamp with wire gauze wrapped around the flame. This invention saved many lives because the lamp dissipated its heat and prevented ignition of the methane gas (Simkin). \n\nIn 1813, [[Michael Faraday|Contemporaries]] became Davy's temporary assistant and spent 18 months touring Europe.

Davy became seriously interested in science around 1797 after reading "Traite Elementaire" written by Antoine Lavoisier and treatises on chemistry by William Nicholson ("Humphry Davy").\n\nSoon after, Davies Gilbert (who would later become the president of the Royal Society) offered Davy the use of a laboratory and library in Tradea. It was in this laboratory that he performed many experiments on the medical uses of various gases ("Biographical Information"). The two were great friends and Gilbert was a source of inspiration and encouragement for Davy. \n\nAnd now onto the most interesting part: What exactly did he [[accomplish|Accomplishments]]? \n\n\n\n \n

Sir Humphry Davy

Cindy Xie

From Penzance school, he attended Truro Grammar School in 1793. Unfortunately, his father died in 1794, leading him to become apprenticed to a surgeon-apothecary at Penzance named J. Binghan Borlase (Bachman). He was 17 at the time. \nHe went on to study chemistry with Thomas Beddoes in Bristol, working as an assistant at his Medical Pneumatic Institution (Simkin).\n\nDavy taught himself a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, poetics, seven languages, and several sciences ("Humphry Davy" Chemical Heritage Foundation). \n\nIn his early 20s, Davy befriended Davies Gilbert, who was one of the people who [[influenced|Influences]] him to become a scientist.\n\nPortrait of Davies Gilbert\n[img[gilbert.jpg]] \nhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Davies_Gilbert_with_signature.jpg

Davy and Davies Gilbert (mentioned in [[influences|Influences]]) remained close during his time at the Pneumatic Institution at Bristol in 1800. \n\nMichael Faraday (1791-1867) attended a lecture given by Sir Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution, and there he resolved to work for him ("Biographical Information"). In 1813, Davy hired Faraday as an assistant, who toured Europe with him and Davy's wife. When he returned to England, Faraday studied as an "analytical and practical chemist". Eventually, he replaced Davy (after he fell ill) in directing the laboratory at the Royal Institution ("Michael Faraday").\n[img[faraday.jpg]]\nhttp://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/electrochemistry/faraday.aspx\n \n\n[[Death|Death]]\n\n