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acrylic prints 1807 acrylic prints alkaline earth acrylic prints alkalis acrylic prints barium acrylic prints calcium acrylic prints chemistry acrylic prints electrical current acrylic prints electrolysis acrylic prints humphry davy acrylic prints magnesium acrylic prints potash acrylic prints potassium acrylic prints royal institution acrylic prints sodium acrylic prints strontium acrylic prints

photographs 1807 photos alkaline earth photos alkalis photos barium photos calcium photos chemistry photos electrical current photos electrolysis photos humphry davy photos magnesium photos potash photos potassium photos royal institution photos sodium photos strontium photos

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Coloured 19c engraving of Humphry Davy using electrolysis to isolate the metallic element in alkalis and alkaline earths. He is shown experimenting at the Royal Institution in 1807. Davy used a combination of Voltaic batteries to give the highest electrical power he could obtain and ran an electrical current through a solution of potash which caused the isolation of potassium. This was the first metal to be isolated by electrolysis. He discovered that alkalis and alkaline earths are compound substances formed by oxygen combined with metallic bases. Using electrolysis he went on to isolate sodium, strontium, magnesium, calcium and barium. Humphry Davy is on the right. The Voltaic batteries are seen on the table in front of him, to the left is a double-barrelled air pump.

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