Loschmidt, Johann Josef
The Austrian Johann Josef Loschmidt (1821 - 1895), son to a taylor and farmer, was a chemist and physicist.
He was the first to estimate the size of air molecules, though his result was twice the true value. This allowed to determine how many molecules are in a given volume of gas. However, the result 0.4·1023 mol-1 molecules per cubic centimetre at standard temperature and pressure was an order of magnitude too small.
He lent his name to the Loschmidt constant.
See also
Last modified:10 January 2026 12.17 p.m.