Vol. 8 No. 1 (2024)
Historical Articles

The Wonderful and the Useful: the Experiments in Samuel Parkes' Chemical Catechism

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Editorial History
  • Raissa Martins Idalgo e Silva,
  • José Otavio Baldinato,
  • Paulo Alves Porto
Raissa Martins Idalgo e Silva
University of São Paulo, Brasil
Bio
José Otavio Baldinato
Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo (IFSP), Brasil
Bio
Paulo Alves Porto
University of São Paulo, Brasil
Bio
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/Substantia-2252

Published 2024-03-04

Keywords

  • Samuel Parkes,
  • Chemical Catechism,
  • 19th-century chemistry,
  • popularization of chemistry,
  • chemical experiments

How to Cite

Silva, R., Baldinato, J., & Porto, P. (2024). The Wonderful and the Useful: the Experiments in Samuel Parkes’ Chemical Catechism. Substantia, 8(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.36253/Substantia-2252

Copyright (c) 2023 Raissa Martins Idalgo e Silva, José Otavio Baldinato, Paulo Alves Porto

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This article aims to present an overview of the experiments contained in Samuel Parkes’ book, Chemical Catechism. In a context of great interest towards science in Britain, many popular chemistry books were published in the early 19th century. Among them, Chemical Catechism was a highly successful work, receiving several editions and translations into other languages. Its chemical content is presented in the form of short questions and answers, complemented by extensive footnotes that serve various purposes. One of these purposes was to guide the tutor in conducting demonstrations and experiments for the pupils, and to convince them of the practical nature of science. The experiments could have sensory, scientific, or industrial appeal, or could be integrated into discussions about theoretical aspects of chemistry. Analysis of the experiments reveals some of Parkes’ conceptions about chemistry and its popularization. Once the pupils’ attention had been captured by the experiments with great sensory appeal, the presentation of theoretical explanations would lead to an understanding of how chemists work and how chemistry could be useful for personal prosperity and the benefit of the nation.

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Editorial History

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