Quotessence
Home / Authors / Wilhelm Ostwald
Wilhelm Ostwald

Wilhelm Ostwald Quotes

Chemist

Filter quotes by topic

AllChemicalsChemical ReactionsOrganismsPeriodsReactionsAgingChemistryCompositionConceptsDecline

Famous Wilhelm Ostwald Quotes

“I am now convinced that we have recently become possessed of experimental evidence of the discrete or grained nature of matter, which the atomic hypothesis sought in vain for hundreds and thousands of years. The isolation and counting of gaseous ions, on the one hand, which have crowned with success the long and brilliant researches of J.J. Thomson, and, on the other, agreement of the Brownian movement with the requirements of the kinetic hypothesis, established by many investigators and most conclusively by J. Perrin, justify the most cautious scientist in now speaking of the experimental proof of the atomic nature of matter, The atomic hypothesis is thus raised to the position of a scientifically well-founded theory, and can claim a place in a text-book intended for use as an introduction to the present state of our knowledge of General Chemistry.”

MatterNatureTheoryEvidenceProofChemistryAtomsJustificationHypothesisScientific TheoryAtomic TheoryBrownianJ J ThomsonJ Perrin
Book:Grundriss Der Allgemeinen Chemie...
Create image

“My only supporter and comrade-in-arms was Georg Helm, who had endeavored to formulate an energetic conception of science before me and had presented his results in a treatise [Die Lehre von der Energie] exhibiting great independence of thought. But we were separated by his aversion to a realistic conception of energy. Consequently, each of us considered the other only a half ally, toward whom an attitude of caution was necessary.”

DiesEnergyResultsHalfAttitudeArmsIndependenceConceptionRealisticAlliesSupporterCautionEnergeticComradeAversionHelmIndependence Of Thought
Author:Wilhelm Ostwald
Create image