The Chemical History of the Candle, by Michael Faraday

The lectures in this book were addressed to a group of young people at the Royal Institution in London in 1860. Faraday chose 'The Chemical History of a Candle. as his subject because, he explained, 'There is not a law under which this universe is governed which does not come into play and is not touched upon in these phenomena.. Michael Faraday, perhaps the greatest experimental scientist of all time, essentially created the science of electro-chemistry. He laid the foundations of the electric power industry, discovered electromagnetic induction, and converted electrical force into mechanical force. Faraday also developed the first electric motor, the electric generator, and the dynamo. Also a brilliant theorist, Faraday developed the concept that magnetism was one of the fundamental forces of nature. He was the principal architect of the classical field theory later developed by Maxwell and Einstein. With clarity and eloquence Michael Faraday opens the door to the mysterious world of chemistry and makes it come excitingly alive. The wonderful thing about his approach is that, from beginning to end, it remains with the observed phenomena and never enters into hypothetical conjectures. These lectures are a prime example of experimental science at its best. Contents Lecture 1. A Candle: Source of the Flame Lecture 2. A Candle: Brightness of the Flame Lecture 3. Products: Water from Combustion Lecture 4. Hydrogen in the Candle Lecture 5. The Nature of the Atmosphere Lecture 6. Respiration and its Analogy to the Burning Candle