Charles François de Cisternay du Fay

Charles François de Cisternay du Fay
Charles François de Cisternay du Fay
Born	September 14, 1698(1698-09-14) Paris
Died	July 16, 1739(1739-07-16) (aged 40) Paris
Nationality	French
Fields	chemistry
Known for	electric charge

Charles François de Cisternay du Fay (14 September 1698 – 16 July 1739) was a French chemist and superintendent of the Jardin du Roi.

He discovered the existence of two types of electricity and named them "vitreous" and "resinous" (later known as positive and negative charge respectively). He noted the difference between conductors and insulators, calling them 'electrics' and 'non-electrics' for their ability to produce contact electrification. He also discovered that alike-charged objects would repel each other and that unlike-charged objects attract. He also disproved certain misconceptions regarding electric charge, such as that of Dr. Stephen Gray who believed that electric properties of a body depended on its colour. Du Fay's observations on electricity were reported in a paper written in December of 1733 and printed in Volume 38 of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1734. He became a member of the Academy of Sciences in 1733.

Du Fay died of constipation in 1739.

External links

• Two Kinds of Electrical Fluid: Vitreous and Resinous, du Fay 1733

Persondata
Name	Fay, Charles Francois de Cisternay du
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	14 September 1698
Place of birth	Paris
Date of death	16 July 1739
Place of death	Paris