Classic Chemistry
compiled by Carmen Giunta
Le Moyne College
Department of Chemistry

classic papers

classic calculations

Elements and Atoms

calendar

glossary

internet resources

• Selected Classic Papers from the History of Chemistry listed alphabetically or by topic.
• Classic Calculations: Quantitative exercises tied to and based upon classic papers from the history of chemistry.
• Elements and Atoms: annotated papers on the development of the concepts of elements and atoms
• History of Chemistry Calendar: This Week in the History of Chemistry (presented in Sunday-Saturday weeks) and month-by-month chemical anniversaries.
• Glossary of archaic chemical terms (Introduction and A-B, C-F, G-L, M-R, S-Z). Old terms, many of which appear in the Selected Classic Papers (including cross-references). See introduction for further information and disclaimers. See also:
  • "A Dictionary of the New Chymical Nomenclature" from Method of Chymical Nomenclature by Louis Bernard Guyton de Morveau, Antoine Lavoisier, Claude-Louis Bertholet, and Antoine de Fourcroy (1787).
  • John Eklund's Dictionary of Obsolete Chemical Terms posted at the ChemTeam Site.
• Selected sites on (mainly) the history of chemistry
• Poster presented at ACS national meeting, 17 August 2009, "Méthode de nomenclature chimique revisited". Clicking this link will call up an image of the poster. That image is a clickable map; clicking on each sections will display an enlargement of the section.
• Obsolete nomenclature challenge from that poster.
• The Discovery of Argon: a Case Study in Scientific Method presented at ACS National Meeting, 3/24/96

Welcome. The principal purpose of this site is to post the texts of several classic papers from the history of chemistry. This site also contains pointers to a few other chemistry-related sites. In early July 1996, "This Week in the History of Chemistry" debuted, including links to sites about the listed person or events. I intend to continue to add more classic papers. In addition, I will expand the texts of some papers which are currently listed as excerpts. So if you like what you see, drop in again and see what's new. I welcome comments and suggestions. Click here to send me e-mail at [email protected]

The Internet can be a wonderful source of information as well as misinformation. Researchers should always critically evaluate their sources (print as well as electronic). I have endeavored to make this site as reliable as possible. In order to provide you, the users of this site, with a bit more confidence in me, its compiler, I have decided to post my credentials in the form of a Curriculum Vitae. I also list below some stamps of approval from on-line science sites.

• Le Moyne College Home Page
• E-mail comments to Carmen Giunta.

• Featured in the American Chemical Society publication Chemistry, ACS 125th Anniversary issue (2001).
• Selected as an ACD (Advanced Chemistry Development) Star Pick
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  Appeared in the Internet Scout Report, August 6, 1999.
• Selected as a hot pick in the NetWatch column of the journal Science, July 9, 1999.
• Listed among history of chemistry sites in the publications column of Chemical Heritage, Summer 1998.
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  Chosen as a Chem WebPick in The Alchemist, weekly online magazine of ChemWeb.Com, July 4, 1997.
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  Chosen as a New Scientist Planet Science hotspot, June 1997.