August Kekulé

Chemistry German 1829 – 1896 345 quotes

He proposed the ring structure of benzene, a crucial breakthrough in organic chemistry.

Quotes by August Kekulé

Every moment is a fresh beginning.

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The pursuit of knowledge is a divine quest.

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We are all travelers on the same journey, seeking the same truth.

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The universe is a puzzle, and we are constantly trying to put the pieces together.

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The carbon atom is tetravalent.

Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 1858

The atoms of the elements are not indivisible, but are composed of smaller particles.

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The atoms of carbon possess the power of combining with each other, and thus forming chains.

Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 1858

The atoms of carbon are capable of uniting with each other in various ways, so as to form compounds of different degrees of complexity.

Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 1858

The number of atoms of hydrogen, chlorine, oxygen, etc., which are combined with one atom of carbon, is always four.

Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 1858

The constitution of organic compounds can be represented by means of graphic formulae, in which the atoms are represented by symbols, and the bonds by lines.

Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 1858

The benzene molecule is a ring of six carbon atoms, with alternating single and double bonds.

Bulletin de la Société Chimique de Paris 1865

The atoms are not at rest, but are in constant motion.

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The chemical properties of a compound depend not only on the nature and number of its constituent atoms, but also on their arrangement.

Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 1858

The concept of valency is a purely empirical one, and does not imply any particular physical mechanism.

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The idea of a fixed valency for each element is a useful simplification, but it is not an absolute truth.

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The development of organic chemistry is essentially the history of the development of the theory of valency.

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The true method of scientific investigation is to observe, to experiment, to reason, and to conclude.

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The chemist must be an artist, as well as a scientist.

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The imagination is a powerful tool in scientific discovery.

Speech at the Benzene Fest 1890

The structure of molecules is not a mere hypothesis, but a reality.

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