astronomy

Martin Ittner

Martin Ittner is a astronomy 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 Martin Ittner rather than just read about it. In short: Martin Hill Ittner (May 2, 1870, in Berlin Heights, Ohio – April 22, 1945, in Jersey City, New Jersey) was a chemist working for Colgate, now known as Colgate-Palmolive. He is best known for his contributions to applied chemistry, including the development of toothpaste and detergent.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Martin Hill Ittner (May 2, 1870, in Berlin Heights, Ohio – April 22, 1945, in Jersey City, New Jersey) was a chemist working for Colgate, now known as Colgate-Palmolive. He is best known for his contributions to applied chemistry, including the development of toothpaste and detergent.

Academic qualifications Bachelor of Phil. from Washington University, 1892 Bachelor of Science from Washington University, 1894 Masters (1895) and PhD (1896) from Harvard University Honorary PhD from Colgate University, 1930 Honorary L.L.D. from Washington University, 1938

Major contributions Ittner joined the Colgate Company in 1896 as its chief chemist. He remained with the company after it became Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company in 1928. He was one of the first U.S. chemists to develop methods for the hydrogenation of fatty oils. Among his achievements where the development of a washing soap made from petroleum hydrocarbons, and new processes to make soap and glycerol. Ittner developed the first applied chemistry research team at Colgate. He developed this research lab throughout his whole working life. Work in the Colgate research lab fostered many developments in detergents with many of the patents being held in Martin Hill Ittner's name. Ittner served as chairman of the New York section of the American Chemical Society in 1922, and as chairman of the American Chemical Society's Committee on Industrial Alcohol. He successfully recommended that United States Congress legitimize the manufacture and use of alcohol for the chemical industry during Prohibition in the United States. He also served as president and as treasurer of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and as president of The Chemists' Club in New York.

Awards Ittner received an honorary doctorate of science from Colgate University in 1930. On June 7, 1938, Ittner gave a commencement speech on The Function of Technology in Modern Society at Washington University, where he was awarded an honorary degree. In 1942 Ittner was awarded the Perkin Medal for applied chemistry in recognition of his contributions.

Patents A listing of his patents includes:

US2164276 US2501467 US2357829 US2403925 US2139589 US1509431 US2474740 US2435745 US2130353 US2319405 US1367973 US1271576 USRE22006

Publications Ittner, Martin Hill (September 1926). "Progress in the Soap Industry during the Last Fifty Years". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 18 (9): 908–910. doi:10.1021/ie50201a008.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Martin Ittner

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Martin Ittner claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 Martin Ittner 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 Martin Ittner 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 Martin Ittner

In research: Martin Ittner appears in astronomy 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 Martin Ittner 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: Martin Ittner is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1870 births, 1945 deaths, American chemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Martin Ittner 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 Martin Ittner in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Martin Ittner 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 Martin Ittner out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Martin Ittner in simple terms?

Why does Martin Ittner matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Martin Ittner?

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 Martin Ittner.