Arrhenius, Svante Augustus

On February 19, 1859 – on October 2, 1927.
Nobel Prize in chemistry, 1903.

Swedish физикохимик Svante Augustus Arrhenius was born in manor Veyk, near Uppsala. He was the second son of Carolina of Christina (Tunberg) and Svante Gustav Arrhenius managing manor. Arrhenius's ancestors were farmers. In year after the son's birth the family has moved to Uppsala where S. G. Arrhenius was part of council of inspectors of the Uppsala university. Visiting cathedral school in Uppsala, Arrhenius has shown special talents to biology, physics and mathematics.
In 1876 Arrhenius has entered the Uppsala university where he studied physics, chemistry and mathematics. In 1878 degree of the bachelor of natural sciences has been appropriated to it. However it continued studying of physics at the Uppsala university within three next years, and in 1881 has gone to Stockholm, to the Swedish royal academy of Sciences to continue researches in the field of electricity under the leadership of Eric Edlund.
Arrhenius investigated passing of electric current through many types of solutions. He has made the assumption that molecules of some substances at dissolution in liquid dissociate, or break up, on two or more particles which he called ions. In spite of the fact that each whole molecule of elektroneytraln, its particle bear small electric charge – either positive, or negative, depending on the particle nature. For example, sodium chloride molecules (salt) at dissolution in water break up to positively charged atoms of sodium and negatively charged chlorine atoms. These loaded atoms, active components of molecule, are formed only in solution and create opportunity for passing of electric current. Electric current in turn directs active components to opposite loaded electrodes.
This hypothesis has made basis of the doctoral dissertation of Arrhenius which he in 1884 has presented to protection at the Uppsala university. At that time, however, many scientists doubted that in solution opposite charged particles can coexist, and council of faculty has estimated its thesis on the fourth class – too low that it could be allowed to lecturing.
Not discouraged by it at all, Arrhenius not only has published the received results, but also has distributed copies of the theses to a number of the leading European scientists, including the famous German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald. Ostwald has so become interested in this work that he has visited Arrhenius in Uppsala and has invited him to work in the laboratory at the Riga polytechnical institute. Arrhenius has rejected the offer, however Ostwald's support promoted that he has been appointed the lecturer of the Uppsala university. Arrhenius held this position within two years.
In 1886 Arrhenius became the scholar of the Swedish royal academy of Sciences that has allowed it to work and conduct researches abroad. Within the next five years it worked in Riga with Ostvald, in the Würzburg with Friedrich Kolrausch (here it has met Walter Nernst), at Gratsky university with Ludwig Boltzmann and in Amsterdam – with Jacob Vant Hoff. Having returned to Stockholm in 1891, Arrhenius begins to give lectures on physics at the Stockholm university, and in 1895 receives professor's position there. In 1897 he holds post of the rector of university.
During all this time Arrhenius continues to develop the theory of electrolytic dissociation, and also to study osmotic pressure. Vant Hoff has expressed osmotic pressure PV formula = to iRT where P designates the osmotic pressure of the substance dissolved in liquid; V – volume; R – pressure of any attendee of gas; T – temperature and i – coefficient which for gases is often equal 1, and for the solutions containing salts – more than 1. Vant Hoff could not explain why value i changes, and Arrhenius's work has helped it to show that this coefficient can be connected with number of the ions which are in solution.
In 1903 to Arrhenius the Nobel Prize in chemistry, "as the fact of recognition of special value of its theory of electrolytic dissociation for development of chemistry" has been awarded. Acting on behalf of the Swedish royal academy of Sciences, X. R. Terneblad has emphasized that the theory of ions of Arrhenius has laid the qualitative foundation of electrochemistry, "having allowed to apply to it mathematical approach". "One of the most important results of the theory of Arrhenius, – Terneblad has told, – completion of enormous generalization for which the first Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to Vant Hoff is".
The scientist with broad range of interests, Arrhenius conducted researches in many fields of physics: has published article about fireballs (1883), studied influence of sunshine on the atmosphere, looked for explanation for such climatic changes as Ice Ages, tried to apply physical and chemical theories to studying of volcanic activity. In 1901 together with several colleagues he has confirmed James Clerc Maxwell's hypothesis that space radiation puts pressure upon particles. Arrhenius has continued studying of problem and, using this phenomenon, has made attempt to explain the nature of aurora borealis and solar crown. He has also assumed that in space thanks to pressure of light disputes and other live seeds can be postponed. In 1902 Arrhenius has begun researches in the field of immunochemistry – sciences which did not cease to interest him for many years.
After in 1905 Arrhenius has retired, having left the Stockholm university, he has been appointed the director of physical and chemical Nobel institute in Stockholm and remained on this post until the end of life.
In 1894 Arrhenius married Sofya Rudbek. They gave birth to the son. However two years later their marriage has broken up. In 1905 he married once again – Maria Iogansson who has given birth to it to the son and two daughters. On October 2, 1927 after short disease Arrhenius has died in Stockholm.
Arrhenius has received many awards and titles. Among them: Davy Londonsky's medal of royal society (1902), first medal of Uillard Gibbs Amerikansky of chemical society (1911), Faraday's medal of the British chemical society (1914). It was member of the Swedish royal academy of Sciences, the foreign member of Londonsky of royal society and German chemical society. Arrhenius has been awarded honourable degrees of many universities, including. Birmingham, Edinburgh, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Oxford and Cambridge.