The year 2012 marks the 350th anniversary of Boyle’s Law (1662), which states that at constant temperature the volume of a gas varies inversely proportional to its pressure. The history of significant scientific events during the 17th century are reviewed, followed by a description of Robert Boyle’s life, contributions to science and theology, and career. His seminal and most cited book, The Sceptical Chymist (1661), written in the form of a dialogue, in which he proposed the modern definition of an element, marked the beginning of modern chemistry free of the preoccupations of the alchemists and iatrochemistry. He established the annual Boyle Lectures, relating science and Christianity, still held today.
Kauffman et al. (Wed,) studied this question.