nh1476@bristol.ac.uk
School of Chemistry
University of Bristol
Lighter than air
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Chemists Montgolfier brothers Gas balloons Airships and blimps Modern hot air balloons Rozier balloons Special shapes |
Chemists
Henry Cavendish
Cavendish was an English physicist and chemist who conducted experiments in diverse fields including such phenomena as the composition of air, the nature and properties of hydrogen and the composition of water. He was the first to create water from hydrogen and oxygen using an electrical spark. He proved that there were two different types of air, which he named “fixed air, or carbon dioxide, and flammable air which was later to be named hydrogen. Critically, he demonstrated that hydrogen is lighter than air.
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http://www.physics.hku.hk/~tboyce/image_gifs/priestly.gif |
Joseph Priestley
Priestley continued the work of Cavendish and the proximity of his house to a public brewery set the stage for many experiments on carbon dioxide. The beginning of hot air ballooning really starts in 1777 when his paper, “Experiments and Observations with Different types of Air” was translated into French. Two paper manufacturing brothers, Joseph Michel and Jaques Etienne Montgolfier were inspired to begin their experiments.