Svante Arrhenius   1859—1927   Swedish chemist   One of the founders of physical chemistry   At age 3 taught himself to read   Watched his surveyor father add numbers in his account books became a mathematical prodigy   Entered fifth grade at age 8 excelled in physics and mathematics   At Swedish Academy of Sciences studies conductivities of electrolytes submitted dissertation for doctorate given lowest possible passing grade later earned Nobel Prize for this work   Most of the 56 theses in that 1884 work would still be accepted today   Proposed that ions were produced by combining salts and water in solution and not by process of electrolysis   Thesis impressed European scientists working in the field of physical chemistry   Was able to travel to Europe to work with scientists in Latvia, Germany, Austria, and Holland   Formulated concept of activation energy a barrier that must be overcome before two molecules will react   Basis of Arrhenius equation   Developed theory to explain ice ages and greenhouse effect   In 1903 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

MEMORY TRIGGERS   Swedish________________________________   _______________________________________   chemist_________________________________   _______________________________________   physical chemistry________________________   _______________________________________   prodigy_________________________________   _______________________________________   electrolytes______________________________   _______________________________________   dissertation______________________________   _______________________________________   56 theses________________________________   _______________________________________   ions____________________________________   _______________________________________   physical chemistry________________________   _______________________________________   activation energy_________________________   _______________________________________   greenhouse effect_________________________   _______________________________________   Nobel Prize______________________________   _______________________________________