Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Carl Wilhelm Scheele (pronounced: Karl Vilhelm Sheele) was a prominent Swedish chemist who made significant contributions to the field of chemistry. He was born on December 9, 1742, and died on May 21, 1786.
Etymology
The name "Carl Wilhelm Scheele" is of German origin. "Carl" is a variant of "Karl", a name that means "free man". "Wilhelm" is a compound of the elements "wil", meaning "will, desire" and "helm", meaning "helmet, protection". "Scheele" is a surname of unknown origin.
Life and Career
Carl Wilhelm Scheele was born in Stralsund, which was then part of Sweden but is now in Germany. He was apprenticed to an apothecary and developed an interest in chemistry during his apprenticeship. Despite his lack of formal education, Scheele made several significant discoveries in chemistry, including the identification of oxygen, molybdenum, tungsten, barium, and chlorine.
Contributions to Chemistry
Scheele is best known for his discovery of oxygen, which he called "fire air" because it supported combustion. He also discovered several other elements and compounds, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, glycerol, and prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide). Scheele's work was often published late or not at all, and as a result, some of his discoveries were credited to other scientists.
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