Humphry Davy

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/humphry-davy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Humphry Davy born?December 17, 1778
2. When did Humphry Davy die?May 29, 1829 (age 50)
3. Where was Humphry Davy born?Penzance, Cornwall, England
4. What is Humphry Davy known for?Pioneering electrochemistry, isolating numerous chemical elements, and inventing the Davy safety lamp
5. Why did Davy call nitrous oxide "laughing gas"?He saw that it made people feel funny and could help with pain, so he gave it that name.
6. How did Davy use electricity to find new elements?He used a voltaic pile to break apart chemicals, pulling out metals like potassium and sodium.

Electrochemistry: The branch of chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical and chemical phenomena.
Anesthetic: A substance that induces insensitivity to pain, used in medical operations.
Clathrate Hydrates: Crystalline solids in which molecules of a gas are trapped within a cage-like structure of water molecules.