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Essay on Stanislao Cannizzaro Quest for Knowledge

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Throughout history, the curiosities of obtaining knowledge of facts that show the operation of general laws have resulted into the improvements of today’s society. Such curiosity of chemical reactions coiled in the minds of John Dalton in the atomic theory, Rosalind Franklin with genetics, and most importantly Antoine Lavoisier the father of modern chemistry. All who, worked extensively to acquire the understanding that fascinated them most, chemistry. Another chemist who sought after the same knowledge was Stanislao Cannizzaro. Studying organic chemistry Cannizzaro explained how certain elements lacked the hydrogen atom in what is know n as the Cannizzaro Reaction.
Being the youngest of ten children, Cannizzaro was born in Palermo,…show more content…
This reaction proved that it is possible for is a chemical reaction that involves the base-induced disproportionation of an aldehyde lacking a hydrogen atom in the alpha position. Leaving Alessandria Cannizzaro became a professor of chemistry at the University of Genoa. While there he wrote letters outlining the differences between atoms and molecules. Sending this letter to Sebabastino de Luca, the chair at Pisa, the letter was published in the Pisa journal as, “Sunto”, in which would be republished and translated into other languages.
Ideas based on Avogadro’s law, Cannizzaro clarified the distinctions of molecules and atoms giving a solid foundation for the formulation of the periodic law. Presenting the information in such a clear way during a time where Avogadro’s theory seemed unnecessary Cannizzaro made it easy for scientists to grasp it and Avogadro’s law became the standard. At the 1860 Karlsruhe Congress, scientist became more aware of the “Sunto” and the convention was held in order to develop a more precise definition of the atom and molecule. Explaining once again, the terms of “atom”, “physical molecule,” and “chemical molecule” the third day of the congress his presentation failed and it was decided that scientist could choose to use either Berzelius’s or Avogadro’s system. However, Cannizzaro’s explanation and “Sunto” was not finished, Angelo Pavesi, a professor at pavia, handed out the “Sunto” and it
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