author
John Dalton
1766–1844
A self-taught English scientist from a modest Quaker background, he helped transform chemistry with the atomic theory that bears his stamp. His work also ranged widely, from weather observation to the study of color blindness.
1 Audiobook
A new system of chemical philosophy, Volume 2, Part 1
by John Dalton
About the author
Born in Eaglesfield, Cumberland, in 1766, he began teaching while still very young and remained closely shaped by his Quaker upbringing. Over time he settled in Manchester, where he built a life of disciplined study and became known for careful measurement, plain habits, and steady curiosity.
He is best remembered for giving chemistry one of its big organizing ideas: that matter is made of atoms belonging to different elements, and that these combine in fixed ratios. He also worked on gases, proposed what became known as Dalton's law of partial pressures, and kept extensive meteorological records over many years.
His interests were broad as well as practical. He wrote one of the earliest scientific accounts of color blindness, drawing in part on his own experience, and his name later became linked with the condition in popular usage. By the time of his death in Manchester in 1844, he was widely recognized as one of the key figures in the foundations of modern chemistry.