Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Horace Bénédict de Saussure
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell.
Faces of Science
Cross section of Earth showing the core, mantle, and crust
Everything Earth
Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.
Physics and Natural Law
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.
Exploration and Discovery
Quick Facts
Born:
Feb. 17, 1740, Geneva, Switz.
Died:
Jan. 22, 1799, Geneva (aged 58)
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Horace Bénédict de Saussure

Swiss physicist
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Horace BĂ©nĂ©dict de Saussure (born Feb. 17, 1740, Geneva, Switz.—died Jan. 22, 1799, Geneva) was a Swiss physicist, geologist, and early Alpine explorer who developed an improved hygrometer to measure atmospheric humidity.

Saussure became professor of physics and philosophy at the Academy of Geneva in 1762 and in 1766 developed what was probably the first electrometer, used to measure electric potential. The word geology was introduced into scientific nomenclature by Saussure with the publication of the first volume of his Voyages dans les Alpes (1779–96; “Travels in the Alps”), a work that contains the results of more than 30 years of geologic studies. In 1783 Saussure built the first hygrometer utilizing a human hair to measure humidity. He also performed early laboratory experiments on the origin of granite.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.