chemistry

Hansruedi von Gunten

Hansruedi von Gunten is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hansruedi von Gunten rather than just read about it. In short: Hansruedi von Gunten (12 December 1928 in Bern – 7 December 2021) was a Swiss chemist and mountaineer. Together with Dolf Reist he succeeded on May 24, 1956, the third ascent of Mount Everest.

Key takeaways

Hansruedi von Gunten belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hansruedi von Gunten to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hansruedi von Gunten from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hansruedi von Gunten (12 December 1928 in Bern – 7 December 2021) was a Swiss chemist and mountaineer. Together with Dolf Reist he succeeded on May 24, 1956, the third ascent of Mount Everest.

Early years and life Gunten graduated in Bern, the Municipal Gymnasium (Matura 1948), studied at the University of Bern chemistry (major), physics and geology (minor subjects), doctored from 1954 to 1956 at the Physical Institute at FG Houtermans on age determinations of Congolese minerals and radioactive bleach (Cotunnites) from Mount Vesuvius. He refused a call to the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. From 1970 until his retirement in 1993, he was a full professor of radiochemistry. He supervised numerous diploma and doctoral students. Gunten spent two sabbaticals at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, USA (1957 and 1966) and one each at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in Berkeley, California USA (1980) and in Sydney, Australia (1990). These activities have resulted in more than 150 publications in renowned journals. From Gunten has numerous peaks in the Alps on z. T. difficult routes (including the north wall of the Aiguille du plan) defeated. He participated in a geological research expedition in East Greenland in 1953 (first ascent of the Shackletons-Bjerg, together with John Haller and Wolfgang Diehl on 2 August). He climbed in Mexico, Ecuador, New Zealand and Japan volcanoes.

1956 Swiss Mount Everest Expedition In 1956 von Gunten became a member of the Swiss Mount Everest-Lhotse expedition, where he was responsible for the food and catering. On April 6, 1956 he succeeded in the Khumbu area together with the Sherpas Lobsang and Gyalsen the first ascent of today often visited Island Peak. Von Gunten reached the summit of Mount Everest together with the photographer Dölf Reist as the second team of this expedition, one day after the ascent by Jürg Marmet and Ernst Schmied. He spent two hours on the summit, including one hour without extra oxygen. He was a member of the Swiss Alpine Club SAC and an honorary member of the Academic Alpine Club Bern AACB.

Weblink H. W. Gäggeler: Pro memoria Hans Rudolf (Hansruedi) von Gunten. (12.12.1928 – 7.12.2021). In: European Chemical Society, 2021 (PDF).

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hansruedi von Gunten

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hansruedi von Gunten claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hansruedi von Gunten before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hansruedi von Gunten ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hansruedi von Gunten

In research: Hansruedi von Gunten appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hansruedi von Gunten in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hansruedi von Gunten is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1928 births, 2021 deaths, Swiss chemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hansruedi von Gunten outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hansruedi von Gunten in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hansruedi von Gunten means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hansruedi von Gunten out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hansruedi von Gunten in simple terms?

Hansruedi von Gunten (12 December 1928 in Bern – 7 December 2021) was a Swiss chemist and mountaineer. Together with Dolf Reist he succeeded on May 24, 1956, the third ascent of Mount Everest.

Why does Hansruedi von Gunten matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hansruedi von Gunten?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hansruedi von Gunten.