Chemist, born in Penzance, Cornwall, SW England, UK. In 1795 he was apprenticed to a Penzance surgeon, and in 1797 took up chemistry. He investigated the respiration of gases, and discovered the anaesthetic effect of laughing gas. In 1801 he became a lecturer at the Royal Institution. His fame chiefly rests on his discovery that chemical compounds could be decomposed into their elements using electricity. In this way he discovered potassium, sodium, barium, strontium, calcium, and magnesium. In 1815 he invented the miner's safety lamp. In 1812 he was knighted, made a baronet in 1818, and in 1820 became president of the Royal Society.
Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet, FRS (17 December 1778 – 29 May 1829), often incorrectly spelled Humphrey, was an esteemed English chemist and physicist. Davy became well known due to his experiments with the physiological action of some gases, including laughing gas (nitrous oxide) - to which he was addicted, once stating that its properties bestowed all of the benefits of alcohol but was devoid of its flaws.
Electrochemistry work
In 1800, Alessandro Volta introduced the first electric pile or battery. Davy used this electric battery to separate salts by what is now known as electrolysis.
Retirement and further work
In 1812 he was knighted, gave a farewell lecture to the Royal Institution, and married a wealthy widow, Jane Apreece. In October 1813 he and his wife, accompanied by Michael Faraday as his scientific assistant (and valet) traveled to France to collect a medal that Napoleon Bonaparte had awarded Davy for his electro-chemical work.
After passing through Genoa, they went to Florence, where, in a series of experiments starting on Sunday March 27, Davy, with Faraday's assistance, succeed in using the sun's rays to ignite diamond, and proved that it was composed of pure carbon.
Davy lamp
After his return to England in 1815, Davy went on to produce the Davy lamp which was used by miners, although there is evidence to show that Davy "invented" his device at about the same time as an engineer, George Stephenson, but claimed all the credit for the invention.
He also showed that oxygen could not be obtained from the substance known as oxymuriatic acid and proved the substance to be an element, which he named chlorine. Scheele had discovered it 36 years before Davy, but was unable to publish his findings.) This discovery overturned Lavoisier's definition of acids as compounds of oxygen.
Acid and bases studies
In 1815 Davy suggested that acids were substances that contained replaceable hydrogen – hydrogen that could be partly or totally replaced by metals.
Further electrochemistry studies
In 1824 he proposed and eventually mounted chunks of iron to the hull of a copper clad ship in the first use of cathodic protection.
Death
Davy died in Geneva, Switzerland, his various inhalations of chemicals finally taking its toll on his health. His laboratory assistant Michael Faraday went on to enhance his work and in the end became more famous and influential – to such an extent that Davy is supposed to have claimed Faraday as his greatest discovery.
Davy's Statue
In the town of Penzance in Cornwall a statue of Davy, its most famous son, stands in front of the imposing Market House, now owned by Lloyds TSB, at the top of Market Jew Street, the town's main high street.
Clerihew
Davy was the subject of the first ever clerihew:
Sir Humphry Davy Abominated gravy.
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