author
Torbern Bergman
1735–1784
A pioneering Swedish chemist and mineralogist, this 18th-century scientist helped turn chemistry into a more exact, measured science. His work on chemical analysis and affinity tables made him an important figure in the early history of the field.
1 Audiobook
Outlines of mineralogy
by Torbern Bergman
About the author
Born in Sweden on March 20, 1735, he studied at Uppsala and built a reputation as a remarkably wide-ranging scientist, with interests that included mathematics, natural history, mineralogy, and chemistry. He later became a professor at Uppsala, where his teaching and research helped shape scientific work in Sweden.
He is best remembered for improving chemical analysis and for his studies of minerals and crystal forms. One of his most notable works was his Dissertation on Elective Attractions (1775), which presented extensive chemical affinity tables and helped organize how chemists thought about reactions between substances.
Although he died relatively young in 1784, his influence lasted well beyond his lifetime. His careful, quantitative approach helped move chemistry away from older speculative traditions and toward the more precise experimental science it would become.