William Jackson Pope
Encyclopedia
William Jackson Pope FRS
(31 October 1870 – 17 October 1939) was an English
chemist
. He studied crystallography
under H. A. Miers and became deeply interested in it. In all his earlier researches much of his work was devoted to securing crystallographic data, and the hours he spent in the dark room with his goniometer
were probably among the happiest in his life. These crystallographic studies had an important influence on the development of his chemical work, for they enhanced the natural faculty of visualising spatial relationships. This drew him inevitably into the field of stereochemistry
where his greatest achievements were made. He obtained the chair of chemistry at Cambridge University in 1908.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(31 October 1870 – 17 October 1939) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
chemist
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. He studied crystallography
Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
under H. A. Miers and became deeply interested in it. In all his earlier researches much of his work was devoted to securing crystallographic data, and the hours he spent in the dark room with his goniometer
Goniometer
A goniometer is an instrument that either measures an angle or allows an object to be rotated to a precise angular position. The term goniometry is derived from two Greek words, gōnia, meaning angle, and metron, meaning measure....
were probably among the happiest in his life. These crystallographic studies had an important influence on the development of his chemical work, for they enhanced the natural faculty of visualising spatial relationships. This drew him inevitably into the field of stereochemistry
Stereochemistry
Stereochemistry, a subdiscipline of chemistry, involves the study of the relative spatial arrangement of atoms within molecules. An important branch of stereochemistry is the study of chiral molecules....
where his greatest achievements were made. He obtained the chair of chemistry at Cambridge University in 1908.