Where did hennig brand live
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German alchemist Hennig Brand discovered phosphorus when he tried to make gold from urine
Phosphorus is an element that is essential for life. It exists in two major forms – white phosphorus and red phosphorus. Forms of it are found in DNA, RNA, and all living cell membranes. It’s one of the six most abundant elements in any living organism.
White phosphorus is the most toxic of the allotropes. It’s used in many destructive weapons, such as napalm. White phosphorus can also cause severe liver damage on ingestion.
Known as “the Devil’s element,” phosphorus is the 13th element to be discovered and also the first element discovered since ancient times.
What is most interesting about phosphorus is how it was discovered. Its discovery dates back in the year of 1669 by the German alchemist Hennig Brand.
Back in the mid-seventeenth century, people’s general knowledge of chemistry was not as advanced as it is today, and it may seem strange how Brand was able to discover the mysterious element.
Henning Brand was born in 1630 in Hamburg, Germany. While young he was an apprentice gla
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Hennig Brand Facts & Worksheets
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Hennig Brand was a German merchant, alchemist, and pharmacist who accidentally discovered the element phosphorus while trying to conduct experiments and searching for the philosopher’s stone. He was the first named person in history to find a new chemical element.
See the fact file below for more information on the Hennig Brand or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Hennig Brand worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
BRAND’S EARLY LIFE
- Hennig Brand was born in 1630 in Germany. He lived and worked in Hamburg.
- History books have very little information about Brand’s early life.
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Hennig Brand German pronunciation was a German merchant, pharmacist and alchemist, who lived and worked in Hamburg. He is the discoverer of the chemical element phosphorus, becoming the first named person in history to discover a chemical element..
Biography
The circumstances of Brand's birth are unknown but he was born in 1630 and died around 1692 or 1710. Some sources describe his origins as humble and indicate that he had been an apprentice glassmaker as a young man. However, correspondence by his second wife Margaretha states that he was of high social standing. In any case he held a post as a junior army officer during the Thirty Years' War and his first wife's dowry was substantial, allowing him to pursue alchemy on leaving the army.
He was one of the many searchers for the philosopher's stone. In the process, he accidentally discovered phosphorus.
Alchemy
Like other alchemists of the time, Brand searched for the "philosopher's stone", a substance which supposedly transformed base metals like lead into gold. By the time his first wife died he had exhausted her money o
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