On This Day in Science History - October 14 - Electrolytes

October 14th is Friedrich Kohlrausch's birthday. Kohlrausch was a German physical chemist who investigated the physical properties, primarily the electrochemical properties of electrolytes. Electrolytes are substances that conduct electricity in solution through the transfer of ions. Kohlrausch's goal was to establish whether or not Ohm's law applies to conductors in solution. He was the first to use alternating current to prevent buildup on his electrodes and studied the conductivity of several salts and metals in acids. He managed to prove Ohm's law did apply to ions in solution and that a particular electrolyte has its own electrical resistance independent of how the electrolyte was formed.

Kohlrausch's work and precise techniques became central for an up and coming group of young chemists that would pioneer physical chemistry and the study of ions. Names like Arrhenius, Ostwald and van't Hoff. Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.

View the original article here