Acetylene of 180°. Acetylene was discovered in 1836 by Edmund Davy, who identified it as a "new carburet of hydrogen". It was rediscovered in 1860 by French chemist Marcellin Berthelot, who coined the name "acétylène". Berthelot's empirical formula for acetylene (CH), as well as the alternative name "quadricarbure d'hydrogène" ("hydrogen quadricarbide"), were incorrect because chemists at that time used the wrong atomic mass for carbon (6 instead of 12). Berthelot was able to prepare this gas by passing vapours of organic compounds (methanol, ethanol, etc.) through a red-hot tube and collecting the effluent. He also found that acetylene was formed by
William Saunders (scientist) William Saunders (scientist) William Saunders (June 16, 1836 – September 13, 1914) was a Canadian agriculturalist, entomologist and pharmacist. He was a pioneer in Canadian agricultural science, led the establishment of the Experimental Farm System and served as its first director for almost 25 years. Saunders was born in Crediton, England, the son of James Saunders and Jane (Wollacott) Saunders. His father was a shoemaker and Methodist preacher. In 1848, when Saunders was twelve years old, the family emigrated to Canada and settled in London, Ontario. Saunders had little or no formal education in London but was instead apprenticed to