Chapter 8 · Chemistry
Wöhler's Urea and the End of Vital Force
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Chemists once believed only living things could make organic compounds. In 1828 Friedrich Wöhler heated an inorganic salt and made urea.
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Key points
- The vital force theory said organic compounds needed a special power found only in living things. Berzelius supported it.
- In 1828, Friedrich Wöhler heated ammonium cyanate, an inorganic salt, and obtained urea.
- NH₄CNO → NH₂CONH₂: the same atoms in a new arrangement.
- Kolbe made acetic acid (1845) and Berthelot made methane (1856).
- The vital force idea faded gradually, and modern organic chemistry began.
Timeline
| Year | Chemist | Made |
|---|---|---|
| 1828 | Wöhler | Urea |
| 1845 | Kolbe | Acetic acid |
| 1856 | Berthelot | Methane |
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