JONS (YONUS) JACOB BERZELIUS, FATHER OF SWEDISH CHEMISTRY
The bronze statue of Jöns (Yonus) Jacob Berzelius, the first public statue of a commoner in Sweden, was crafted by artist Carl Gustaf Qvarnström. Ferdinand von Miller casted it. Berzelius (1779–1848) was a Swedish chemist. He made foundational contributions to modern chemistry. Called the "Father of Modern Chemistry," he introduced the system of chemical notation used today, where elements are represented by one or two letters (H for hydrogen, O for oxygen). He discovered the elements silicon, selenium, thorium, and cerium. He was the first to isolate several elements, including calcium, barium, and lithium. Berzelius developed the concept of catalysis, identifying substances that speed up chemical reactions. He introduced key terms like isomerism, polymer, and protein. He determined atomic weights to understand chemical compositions. He published extensively, such as an influential textbook. His electrochemical dualism theory shaped the early 19th century's chemical thought.
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