Origins & Early Life

Christophorus Henricus Diedericus Buys Ballot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbœyz bɑˈlɔt]; 10 October 1817 – 3 February 1890) was a Dutch chemist and meteorologist who is the namesake of Buys Ballot's law. He was the first president of the International Meteorological Organization, the organization that would become the World Meteorological Organization. Ballot was born on 10 October 1817, in Kloetinge, to a Dutch Reformed minister. He attended the Gymnasium at Zaltbommel and the University of Utrecht.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

After receiving his doctorate in 1844, he became lecturer in mineralogy and geology at Utrecht; he added theoretical chemistry in 1846. In 1847, he was appointed professor of mathematics and from 1867 until his retirement he was professor of physics. He died in Utrecht, on 3 February 1890, aged 72. In 1970, the lunar crater Buys-Ballot, on the far side of the Moon, was named in his honour. Buys Ballot tested the Doppler effect for sound waves in 1845 by using a group of musicians playing a calibrated note on a train in the Utrecht-Amsterdam line.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Buys Ballot is best known for his accomplishments in the field of meteorology, specifically the explanation...

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