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Which alkaline-earth metals did Sir Humphry Davy isolate in 1808?
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Sir Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy, detail of an oil painting after Sir Thomas Lawrence; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
In 1808, the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy successfully isolated four alkaline-earth metals from their compounds using the electrolytic method. These elements are:12
Davy had previously utilized this same electrolytic technique in 1807 to isolate the alkali metals potassium and sodium.12