Robert Boyle

Robert Boyle (1627-1691), Irish-born English scientist, who was an early proponent of the scientific method and a founder of modern chemistry.

Boyle was born in Lismore, Ireland, and educated in Geneva. He settled in England and devoted himself to scientific research. Because he believed in the necessity of objective observation and verifiable laboratory experiments in scientific studies, Boyle is considered to be one of the founders of modern scientific method. Boyle was one of the founding members of the Royal Society.

Boyle was the first chemist to isolate and collect a gas. He improved the air pump and, through his studies, formulated the law of physics that bears his name. Boyle's law states that under conditions of constant temperature, the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional. In the field of chemistry, Boyle observed that air is absorbed in the process of combustion and that metals gain weight when they oxidize. He recognized the difference between a compound and a mixture and formulated his atomic theory of matter on the basis of his laboratory experiments. In The Sceptical Chemist (1661), Boyle attacked the theory proposed by the Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle that four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—compose all matter. Boyle suggested that tiny particles of primary matter combine in various ways to form what he called corpuscles, and that all observable phenomena result from the motion and structure of the corpuscles. Boyle was also the first to note the distinctions between acids, bases, and salts (see Acids and Bases). His other works include Origin of Forms and Qualities According to the Corpuscular Philosophy (1666) and Discourse of Things Above Reason (1681).