Johannes van Laar

Johannes van Laar
Van Laar in 1914
Born	(1860-07-10)10 July 1860 The Hague, Netherlands
Died	9 December 1938(1938-12-09) (aged 78) Montreux, Switzerland
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam
Occupation	Dutch chemist
Organization	Lecturer of mathematics at University of Amsterdam Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Known for	Van Laar equation

Johannes van Laar (10 July 1860 – 9 December 1938) was a Dutch chemist who is best known for the equations regarding chemical activity (Van Laar equation).

Biography

Van Laar's parents died when he was still a minor, his mother in 1862 when he was about 2-years-old and his father in 1873 when he was about 13-years-old. From that point on his uncle N. A. Rost van Tonningen was responsible for him. He finished school in 1876 and joined the Royal Naval Institute at Willemsoord. After several trips on steam ships and reaching the rank of a sub-lieutenant he asked for discharge when he became of age.

Van Laar started his studies of physics, chemistry and mathematics at the University of Amsterdam in 1891. Johannes van der Waals, and Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff both were professors at that University in that time.

His education deprived him from obtaining a Ph.D. and therefore a career at a Dutch University was nearly impossible. After being a teacher at a middle school he became unsalaried lecturer at the University of Amsterdam 1898 and assistant of Bakhuis Roozeboom in 1902. Van der Waals opposed several of the promotions of van Laar, for example becoming a paid lecturer in 1902 and after the death of Roozeboom the attempt to get lecturer for mathematical chemistry in 1907. Van Laar was appointed lecturer of mathematics in 1907 but was rejected becoming professor in 1910. This rejection lead to a mental breakdown and had to resign his position. He went to Tavel-sur-Clarens in Switzerland until his death in 1938, at 78 years old.

In 1930 he became a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

See also

• Computational thermodynamics

References

• Van Emmerik, E. P. (1991-03-21). "Dissertation: J. J. van Laar (1860–1938) :--a mathematical chemist". Technical University Delft. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
• "Johannes Jacobus van Laar". Biografisch Portaal van Nederland. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
• "LAAR, Johannes Jacobus van (1860–1938)". Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
• "Past Members of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Academie van Wetenshappen: J.J. van Laar (1860–1938)". Retrieved 2011-03-06.
• Levelt, A. H. M. "Van der Waals, Korteweg, van Laar: a Maple Excursion into the Thermodynamics of Binary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
• Snelders, H. A. M. (1986). "The Dutch Physical Chemist J. J. van Laar (1860?1938) Versus J. H. van 't Hoff's ?Osmotic School?". Centaurus. 29 (1): 53–71. Bibcode:1986Cent...29...53S. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0498.1986.tb00881.x.
• Wisniak, Jaime (2000). "Johannes Jacobus van Laar Unappreciated Scientist". The Chemical Educator. 5 (6): 335–339. doi:10.1007/s00897000429a. S2CID 96160133.
• Van Klooster, H. S. (1962). "J. J. van Laar: Pioneer in chemical thermodynamics". Journal of Chemical Education. 39 (2): 74. Bibcode:1962JChEd..39...74V. doi:10.1021/ed039p74.

External links

• Laar, Johannes Jacobus van (1860-1938)