Jacques Charles was a French physicist born in 1746 who made significant contributions to science through his invention of the hydrogen balloon and gas valve. He conducted experiments with Robert Brothers to build the first hydrogen balloon in 1783. Charles also invented the hydrometer, goniometer, and improved several other scientific instruments. While he had no formal science education, he became a professor of science and published several scientific findings, including Charles's Law regarding the properties of gases.

1. Jacques Charles

2. Early Life
 Jacques Charles was born November 12, 1746 in France
 Jacques was the only child of his parents
 Jacques' education consisted of basic arithmetic , and no
science at all
 Other than this almost nothing is known about his earlier
years

3. Mid-life
 Jacques married a creole woman, Julie Françoise Bouchaud
des Hérettes, who was 37 years younger than himself
 Many historians believe that his marriage was a cover up for
his homosexual relationship with the poet, Alphonse de
Lamartine

4. Late-Life
 In 1785 Charles became a professor at the French Académie
des Sciences without having any formal science education
himself
 Jacques Charles outlived his wife, and later died himself April
7, 1823 in Paris
 Without Charles's contributions, the Hindenburg would not
have even existed, so that accident would not have occurred,
and we wouldn't have one-way valve, or at least until someone
else came up for the idea after Charles did.

5. Contribution to the Scientific
Community
 Most notably Jacques
Charles is known for the
Hydrogen balloon which he
built with the Robert
Brothers.
 Jacques originally got the
idea for using hydrogen gas
as a lifting agent after
intensive study of Boyle's
Law, previous to the use of
hydrogen gas, hot air was
used to make balloons fly

6. Contributions (cont.)
 Charles also is known for the invention of the gas valve, which
he used on his hydrogen balloons, the hydrometer, reflection
goniometer, improved the heilostat and the arometer.
 Charles also confirmed Benjamin Franklin's electrical
experiments.
 Charles is also responsible for Charles's Law, but did not
publish it, it was published by Joseph Gay-Lussac in 1802, and
Joseph named it in Charles's honor