In which year did Robert Brown observe the zigzag movement of colloidal particles in solution?

Key Points

• 1827 is the year when Robert Brown observed the zigzag movement of colloidal particles in solution.
• This phenomenon is known as Brownian motion.
• Brownian motion is the random movement of particles suspended in a fluid, resulting from their collision with fast atoms or molecules in the gas or liquid.
• It provided important evidence for the kinetic theory of heat and the existence of atoms and molecules.

Additional Information

• Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist who is best known for his work on plant cell structure and Brownian motion.
• The discovery was made while observing pollen grains in water under a microscope.
• Brown initially observed this motion in pollen grains from the plant Clarkia pulchella.
• Brownian motion was later explained by Albert Einstein in 1905, providing empirical support for the atomic theory.
• Jean Perrin's experimental work on Brownian motion in 1908 provided further validation of Einstein's theory and helped to establish the reality of atoms and molecules.