Letter-based chemical symbols and formulas

What was discovered

Berzelius replaces Dalton's pictorial symbols with the Latin initial of each element and writes formulae with numerical subscripts, as well as publishing highly accurate tables of atomic weights. He also proposes the dualistic electrochemical theory.

What it led to

• Universal chemical notation
• Quantitative analytical chemistry
• Concepts of isomerism, catalysis, polymer and protein (all coined by Berzelius)

Built on

• Voltaic pile1800
• Dalton's atomic theory and law of multiple proportions1803-1808

Made possible

• reliable atomic weight tables

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