Alfred Berhard Nobel Essay Research Paper Alfred

Alfred Berhard Nobel Essay, Research Paper Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833-1896)Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, inventor, philanthropist, and some say was the first mad scientist. [http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/nobel.htm] Eventually, blowing up things was a part of his everyday life. Born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden, Alfred Nobel led a rough life. He was constantly sick, due to extremely poor housing conditions, cold winters, and unending poverty. [http://www.nobel-enterprises.com/alfred_nobel.html] Alfred was one of eight children, which was a contributing factor in the poverty. Only four of the children managed to stay alive to reach adulthood. [http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,57414+1+56007,00.html] Alfred’s father,

Immanuel, was originally an engineer and inventor who built bridges and buildings in Stockholm. Because of his ties with construction, he also experimented with different methods for blasting rocks. He wasn’t making much of a living at this, and his family drastically needed money, so he opened and operated a mechanical workshop that provided supplies for the Russian army. The profit from the mechanical workshop was looking promising. [Alfred Nobel: A Biography] On the side, Immanuel was still into engineering and was designing navel mines (which were simply submerged wooden casks filled with gunpowder) for the Russians. They anchored them underwater off the Gulf of Finland to stop the British Royal Navy from coming into firing range of St. Petersburg, since the Crimean war was

going on at this time. And if all these jobs weren’t enough to tackle, Immanuel was also beginning to design steam engines. As for Immanuel’s wife, Andrietta, (originally born Andrietta Ahlsell) she started a grocery store to make ends meet for the family. The family she had come from was very affluent, and they lent her the money to start the business, as they could see what financial trouble the family was in. [http://www.nobel.se/nobel/Alfred-nobel/biographical/life-work/index.html] Both businesses were taking off and suddenly income was coming in fairly regularly. With the extra money, Immanuel decided to send 17-year-old Alfred around the world to study chemical engineering. [Alfred Nobel: A Biography] Although Alfred’s primary interests were in English literature and

poetry, his father disapproved and tried to steer him more towards chemistry and physics. [Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science] Alfred first traveled to Germany, then to Paris, where he worked with the well-known French chemist J.T. Pelouze. He learned several different languages while in Paris, including Swedish, Russian, French, English and German, that would help him to become successful later down the road. [http://www.nobel-enterprises.com/alfred_nobel.html] Now in 1853, the Crimean war was into full swing. Immanuel s business was profiting even more than before, since he was selling supplies to the Russian army. Profit even reached an all-time high. Business was booming like never before. Once word reached Alfred, he chose to return to home and help out.

[http://www.nobel-enterprises.com/alfred_nobel.html] Three years later the war ended. Obviously and as one would predict, the family s company hit rock bottom. Bankruptcy was becoming closer and closer to reality. [http://www.nobel.se/nobel/Alfred-nobel/biographical/life-work/index.html] The Nobel family returned to Sweden and rented a small estate just outside of Stockholm in a town called Heleneborg. With much time on his hands, Alfred began practicing some chemistry. [http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,57414+1+56007,00.html] He realized gunpowder (also known as black powder at the time) was the only explosive currently available, and it was only effective to an extent. Gunpowder didn t work in many cases and projects, especially those involving hard rock. The