Unpublished paper, 'Experiments made with a view to determine the point of congelation of purefied mercury and whether it freezes with a less degree of cold in proportion to its impurity' by Mathew [Matthew] Guthrie
Reference number: AP/5/17
Date: 1785
Description
Guthrie recounts his second round of experiments on the freezing point of mercury, improving on previous experiments that he had sent to the Royal Society. He found that mercury could be cooled up to five and a half degrees below its freezing point without congealing. Guthrie experimented on numerous types of mercury including purified mercury, native mercury, common barometer mercury, and mercury mixed with tin.
Subject: Chemistry
- Reference number
- AP/5/17
- Earliest possible date
- 1785
- Physical description
- Ink on paper
- Page extent
- 9 pages
- Format
- Manuscript
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Matthew Guthrie, Unpublished paper, 'Experiments made with a view to determine the point of congelation of purefied mercury and whether it freezes with a less degree of cold in proportion to its impurity' by Mathew [Matthew] Guthrie, 1785, AP/5/17, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_5_17/unpublished-paper-experiments-made-with-a-view-to-determine-the-point-of-congelation-of-purefied-mercury-and-whether-it-freezes-with-a-less-degree-of-cold-in-proportion-to-its-impurity-by-mathew-matthew-guthrie, accessed on 11 February 2026
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Hierarchy
This item is part of:
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Archived papers: volume 5, scientific papers submitted the Royal Society unpublished or abstracted, 1779-1787
1781-1788 Reference number: AP/5
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Matthew Guthrie
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Archived Papers
The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.
Dates: 1768 - 1989
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