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William Henry ( December 12, 1775— September 2, 1836) was an English chemist.

Henry was the son of Thomas Henry (1734-1816), an apothecary and writer on chemistry, was born at Manchester. He began to study medicine at Edinburgh in 1795, taking his doctor's degree in 1807, but ill-health interrupted his practice as a physician, and he devoted his time mainly to chemical research, especially in regard to gases. One of his best-known papers (Phil. Trans., 1803) describes experiments on the quantity of gases absorbed by water at different temperatures and under different pressures, the conclusion he reached ( Henry's law) being that water takes up of gas condensed by one, two or more additional atmospheres, a quantity which, ordinarily compressed, would be equal to twice, thrice, &c. the volume absorbed under the common pressure of the atmosphere. Others of his papers deal with gas-analysis, fire-damp, illuminating gas, the composition of hydrochloric acidProperties General Name Hydrogen chloride Chemical formula H Cl Appearance Colourless liquid Physical Formula weight 36. 5 amu Melting point 203. 15 K (-70 °C) Boiling point 382 K (109 °C) Density 1. 2 ×103 kg/ m3 (liquid) Solubility 70 g in 100g water Th and of ammoniaAmmonia is a chemical compound with the formula. The molecule is not flat, but has the shape of a flattened tetrahedron known as a trigonal pyramid''. In solution it forms the positively charged ammonium ion , which has the shape of a regular tetrahedron., urinary and other morbid concretions, and the disinfecting powers of heat. His Elements of Experimental Chemistry (1799) enjoyed considerable vogue in its day, going through xi editions in 30 years. He died at Pendlebury , near Manchester.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911 Britannica