William Odling
Encyclopedia
William Odling, FRS (5 September 1829, Southwark
, London
- 17 February 1921, Oxford
) was an English chemist
who contributed to the development of the periodic table
.
In the 1860s Odling, like many chemists, was working towards a periodic table of elements
. He was intrigued by atomic weights and the periodic occurrence of chemical properties. William Odling and Lothar Meyer
drew up tables similar, but with improvements on, Dmitri Mendeleev's
original table. Odling drew up a table of elements using repeating units of seven elements, which bears a striking resemblance to Mendeleev’s
first table . The groups
are horizontal, the elements are in order of increasing atomic weight
and there are vacant slots for undiscovered ones. In addition, Odling overcame the tellurium-iodine problem and he even managed to get thallium, lead, mercury and platinum in the right groups - something that Mendeleev failed to do at his first attempt.
Odling failed to achieve recognition, however, since it is suspected that he, as Secretary of the Chemical Society of London, was instrumental in discrediting John Alexander Reina Newlands'
efforts at getting his own periodic table published. One such unrecognised aspect was for the suggestion he made in a lecture he gave at the Royal Institution
in 1855 entitled The Constitution of Hydrocarbons in which he proposed a methane
type for carbon (Proceedings of the Royal Institution, 1855, vol 2, p. 63-66). Perhaps influenced by Odling's paper, August Kekulé made a similar suggestion in 1857, then in a subsequent paper later that same year proposed that carbon is a tetravalent element.
and a Demonstrator at Guy's Hospital Medical School
in 1850. Leaving St Bartholomew's in 1868 he became a Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution
. Later, in 1872 he left the Royal Institution
and became a fellow of Worcester College
, Oxford
, where he stayed still his retirement in 1912.
Odling also served as a fellow (1848–1856), Honorary Secretary (1856–1869), Vice-President (1869–1872) and President (1873–1875) of the Chemical Society of London as well as a Censor (1878–1880 and 1882–1891), Vice-President (1878–1880 and 1888–1891) and President (1883–1888) of the Institute of Chemistry.
In 1859 he was made a fellow of the Royal Society of London and in 1875 he was granted an honorary PhD by Leiden University
, Holland.
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- 17 February 1921, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
) was an English 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....
who contributed to the development of the periodic table
Periodic table
The periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...
.
In the 1860s Odling, like many chemists, was working towards a periodic table of elements
Periodic table
The periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...
. He was intrigued by atomic weights and the periodic occurrence of chemical properties. William Odling and Lothar Meyer
Julius Lothar Meyer
Julius Lothar von Meyer was a German chemist. He was contemporary and competitor of Dmitri Mendeleev to draw up the first periodic table of chemical elements...
drew up tables similar, but with improvements on, Dmitri Mendeleev's
Dmitri Mendeleev
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev , was a Russian chemist and inventor. He is credited as being the creator of the first version of the periodic table of elements...
original table. Odling drew up a table of elements using repeating units of seven elements, which bears a striking resemblance to Mendeleev’s
Dmitri Mendeleev
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev , was a Russian chemist and inventor. He is credited as being the creator of the first version of the periodic table of elements...
first table . The groups
Periodic table group
In chemistry, a group is a vertical column in the periodic table of the chemical elements. There are 18 groups in the standard periodic table, including the d-block elements, but excluding the f-block elements....
are horizontal, the elements are in order of increasing atomic weight
Atomic weight
Atomic weight is a dimensionless physical quantity, the ratio of the average mass of atoms of an element to 1/12 of the mass of an atom of carbon-12...
and there are vacant slots for undiscovered ones. In addition, Odling overcame the tellurium-iodine problem and he even managed to get thallium, lead, mercury and platinum in the right groups - something that Mendeleev failed to do at his first attempt.
Odling failed to achieve recognition, however, since it is suspected that he, as Secretary of the Chemical Society of London, was instrumental in discrediting John Alexander Reina Newlands'
John Alexander Reina Newlands
John Alexander Reina Newlands was an English chemist who invented the Periodic Table.Newlands was born in London and was the son of a scottish Presbyterian minister and his Italian wife....
efforts at getting his own periodic table published. One such unrecognised aspect was for the suggestion he made in a lecture he gave at the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
in 1855 entitled The Constitution of Hydrocarbons in which he proposed a methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
type for carbon (Proceedings of the Royal Institution, 1855, vol 2, p. 63-66). Perhaps influenced by Odling's paper, August Kekulé made a similar suggestion in 1857, then in a subsequent paper later that same year proposed that carbon is a tetravalent element.
Career
Odling became a Chemistry Lecturer at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical SchoolSt Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
and a Demonstrator at Guy's Hospital Medical School
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
in 1850. Leaving St Bartholomew's in 1868 he became a Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
. Later, in 1872 he left the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
and became a fellow of Worcester College
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he stayed still his retirement in 1912.
Odling also served as a fellow (1848–1856), Honorary Secretary (1856–1869), Vice-President (1869–1872) and President (1873–1875) of the Chemical Society of London as well as a Censor (1878–1880 and 1882–1891), Vice-President (1878–1880 and 1888–1891) and President (1883–1888) of the Institute of Chemistry.
In 1859 he was made a fellow of the Royal Society of London and in 1875 he was granted an honorary PhD by Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
, Holland.