Michael Faraday: Life and Contributions

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Where and when was Michael Faraday born?

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Michael Faraday was born in Newington, England, on September 22, 1791.

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What was Faraday's early occupation?

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He was apprenticed to become a bookbinder in 1805.

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How did Faraday get involved with the Royal Society?

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He attended Davy's lectures and created a 386-page book of notes, which he sent to the Royal Society president.

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What was Faraday's first significant contribution to chemistry?

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In 1823, he devised methods to liquefy gases under pressure and was the first to produce a temperature below 0˚F in the laboratory.

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What terms did Faraday coin in electrochemistry?

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He coined the terms ion, electrolysis, electrolyte, anode, and cathode.

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What is the Faraday known for in electrochemistry?

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The Faraday is the quantity of electricity needed to liberate one mole of a metal through electrolysis.

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What was Faraday's relationship with Sir Davy?

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Faraday was initially Davy's assistant, but Davy later despised him, likely due to Faraday's success in chemistry.

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What significant discovery did Faraday make in 1831?

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He discovered electromagnetic induction, the principle behind the electric transformer and generator.

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What was Faraday's response to the British government during the Crimean War?

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He stated that preparing large quantities of poisonous gas was feasible but refused to be involved.

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How did Faraday document his scientific work?

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He kept a meticulous day-by-day record of his work from 1820-1862, published in 7 volumes in 1932.