Pam McCord, age 16, of Nashua, N.H., for her question:

WHO WAS THE FOUNDER OF CHEMISTRY?

A Swedish chemist named ions Jakob Berzelius is considered to be the founder and organizer of modern chemistry.

Born in 1779, Berzelius studied medicine at the University of Uppsala. He practiced medicine and also served as a university professor in Stockholm. He became a member of the Stockholm Academy of Science in 1808 and in 1818 became its permanent secretary. For his contribution to science, the King of Sweden and Norway made him a baron in 1835.

Berzelius died in 1848.

Berzelius' research extended into every branch of chemistry and was extraordinary for its scope and accuracy. He discovered three chemical elements: cerium, selenium and thorium.

The famous chemist was the first to introduce the term "catalyst" into science and was the first to elaborate on the nature and importance of catalysis. He also introduced the present system of chemical formulation. This system was one or two letter abbreviations for each element, yielding symbols such as the familiar H20 for water.

Berzelius, greatest achievement was the measurement of atomic weights.