Ramsay, William

[person]

Scottish chemist born in Glasgow (1852-1916). Ramsay began his career working in organic chemistry. In the 1880s he became more interested in physical chemistry, working mainly in stoichiometry and thermodynamics. In the late 1880s, Ramsay investigated nitrogen oxides and discovered argon, helium, neon, krypton and xenon. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904.