author
Torbern Bergman
1735–1784
A pioneering Swedish chemist and mineralogist, he helped turn chemistry into a more exact science. His work on chemical affinities and analysis shaped how later scientists understood substances and reactions.
1 Audiobook
Outlines of mineralogy
by Torbern Bergman
About the author
Born in Sweden in 1735, Torbern Olof Bergman studied at Uppsala University and went on to become a professor there. Although he first worked in mathematics and natural history, he became best known for chemistry and mineralogy, fields in which he earned an international reputation.
Bergman is especially remembered for improving chemical analysis and for his 1775 work on elective attractions, which organized chemical relationships in detailed affinity tables. He also wrote an important study of mineral waters and contributed to the study of crystals and minerals, helping chemistry move toward more careful measurement and classification.
He died in 1784, but his influence lasted well beyond his lifetime. Today he is often seen as one of the key eighteenth-century figures who helped chemistry develop into a modern scientific discipline.