chemistry

Samuel Luther Dana

Samuel Luther Dana 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 Samuel Luther Dana rather than just read about it. In short: Samuel Luther Dana (born July 11, 1795 in Amherst, New Hampshire – March 11, 1868 in Lowell, Massachusetts) was an American chemist. Biography He studied at Phillips Exeter Academy, and graduated from Harvard in 1813.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Samuel Luther Dana (born July 11, 1795 in Amherst, New Hampshire – March 11, 1868 in Lowell, Massachusetts) was an American chemist.

Biography He studied at Phillips Exeter Academy, and graduated from Harvard in 1813. Desirous of becoming a military engineer, he applied for an appointment to the U. S. Military Academy, but instead was commissioned a lieutenant in the 1st artillery. He served during the War of 1812 in New York and Virginia, and at its close resigned from the army. Subsequently, he studied medicine, and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1818. From 1819 until 1826, he practised in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he was brought into intimate relations with the early cotton manufacturers of the state, and his fondness for physical science determined him to devote his attention to chemistry as applied to the manufacture and coloring of cotton goods. About 1826, he established a laboratory in Waltham for the manufacture of sulphuric acid and bleaching-salts, which afterward was merged in the Newton Chemical Company, and he was its chemist until 1834. In 1833 he visited Europe, and spent some time in England prosecuting chemical investigations. On his return he removed to Lowell, where he became resident and consulting chemist to the Merrimack Manufacturing Company, and continued as such until his death. His investigation in the bleaching of cotton led to the invention of the so-called "American system" of bleaching, which attracted much attention abroad when first published in 1838 in the Bulletin de la société industrielle de Mulhouse. Many other important improvements in the printing of cottons and the chemical processes involved in that work were made by him, and gave to the goods produced in Lowell a high reputation in the United States. His researches on the action of cow manure as a mordant, showing that its fixing properties are due to the sodium phosphate that it contains, with the subsequent introduction of "substitutes", was a decided advance in the art of calico printing. Prof. Benjamin Silliman Jr., wrote of him: "In point of time, originality, and ability, Dr. Dana stood deservedly first among scientific writers on agriculture in the United States."

Works Dana prepared for the City of Lowell a valuable report on the injurious influence of lead pipes for water used for drinking and culinary purposes. His interest in this subject led him subsequently to translate from the French a Treatise on Lead Diseases. He contributed many papers on technical topics to the North American Review and Silliman's American Journal of Science.

1818: (with James Freeman Dana) Outlines of the Geology and Mineralogy of Boston and its Vicinity via Google Books 1833: "Chemical Changes occurring in the Manufacture of Sulphuric Acid" 1843: An Essay on Manures via Internet Archive 1848: Lead Diseases: a Treatise, translated from French original written by L. Tanquerel des Planches 1858: Muck Manuel for Farmers, fourth edition, includes chapter on bones, superphosphates of lime and alkalies

Notes

References This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). "Dana, Joseph" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Samuel Luther Dana

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Samuel Luther Dana 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 Samuel Luther Dana 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 Samuel Luther Dana 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 Samuel Luther Dana

In research: Samuel Luther Dana 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 Samuel Luther Dana 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: Samuel Luther Dana is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1795 births, 1868 deaths, American chemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Samuel Luther Dana 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 Samuel Luther Dana in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Samuel Luther Dana in simple terms?

Samuel Luther Dana (born July 11, 1795 in Amherst, New Hampshire – March 11, 1868 in Lowell, Massachusetts) was an American chemist. Biography He studied at Phillips Exeter Academy, and graduated from Harvard in 1813.

Why does Samuel Luther Dana 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 Samuel Luther Dana?

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 Samuel Luther Dana.