Museo Galileo
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Virtual Museum
Section of Room XVII
 Mastering Fire

The greatest progress in modern chemistry was attained by perfecting instrumentation able to control fire, the chief element used by chemists to analyze substances. In the 18th century, the discovery that variations in temperature affect chemical reactions stimulated the systematic use of the thermometer and the pyrometer (for measuring the expansion of metals and the temperature of furnaces). Thanks to these instruments calorimetric standards were significantly raised, allowing the power of fire to be more efficiently controlled and measured.

Objects
Alcohol thermometer

Alcohol thermometer

Inv. 2040
M. Gallonde, Paris, late 18th cent.

Alembic dome

Alembic dome

Inv. 3782
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Alembic domes

Alembic domes

Inv. 3779, 3780, 3781
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Bottle with curved pouring pipe

Bottle with curved pouring pipe

Inv. 3786
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Bottle with serpentine neck

Bottle with serpentine neck

Inv. 1941
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Bottle with side spout

Bottle with side spout

Inv. 1649
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Chemical apparatus

Chemical apparatus

Inv. 1714
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Furnace

Furnace

Inv. 3916
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Long-necked matrass

Long-necked matrass

Inv. 1920
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Matrass

Matrass

Inv. 1922
Maker unknown, 18th-19th cent.

Mercury thermometer

Mercury thermometer

Inv. 2038
Felice Fontana [attr.], Italian, second half 18th cent.

Pyrometer or dilatometer

Pyrometer or dilatometer

Inv. 573
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Retort

Retort

Inv. 3915
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Retort

Retort

Inv. 1756
Josiah Wedgwood, England, second half 18th cent.

Retort

Retort

Inv. 3787
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Retort

Retort

Inv. 1755
Josiah Wedgwood, England, second half 18th cent.

Retort

Retort

Inv. 1754
Josiah Wedgwood, England, second half 18th cent.

Retorts

Retorts

Inv. 1752, 1753
Josiah Wedgwood, second half 18th cent.

Tripod-mounted furnace

Tripod-mounted furnace

Inv. 3914
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Tubes terminating in bubbles

Tubes terminating in bubbles

Inv. 1938, 1940
Maker unknown, 18th cent.

Wedgwood pyrometer

Wedgwood pyrometer

Inv. 546
Josiah Wedgwood, England, late 18th cent.