Editing Wilhelm Ostwald (section)

== Academic career ==
Ostwald began his career as an independent unpaid investigator at the University of Dorpat in 1875. He worked in the laboratory of [[Carl Schmidt (chemist)|Carl Schmidt]], along with his contemporary Johann Lemberg.  Lemberg taught Ostwald many of the basics of the [[Qualitative inorganic analysis|analysis of inorganic compounds]] and measurements of [[Chemical equilibrium|equilibria]] and chemical [[reaction rates]]. Lemberg also taught Ostwald the chemical basis of many geologic phenomena. These endeavors formed part of the subjects of Ostwald's later research efforts.<ref name="Kim" />  In addition to his work in Carl Schmidt's laboratory, Ostwald also studied in the university's physics institute with [[Arthur von Oettingen]].<ref name="Nobel" />

Around 1877, still continuing his work as an unpaid investigator in the Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Dorpat, Ostwald became a paid assistant in the Physics Institute, after Oettingen's assistant moved to Riga.<ref name="Kim" /><ref name="Birthday">{{cite journal |title=Wilhelm Ostwald (To 150th Anniversary of His Birthday) |journal=Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry |date=October 2003 |volume=76 |issue=10 |pages=1705–1709 |doi=10.1023/B:RJAC.0000015745.68518.e9|s2cid=195240066 }}</ref> 
He also supported himself for a time by teaching mathematics and science at a Dorpat high school.<ref name="Bancroft">{{cite journal |last1=Bancroft |first1=Wilder D. |title=Wilhelm Ostwald, the great protagonist. Part I |journal=Journal of Chemical Education |date=September 1933 |volume=10 |issue=9 |pages=539 |doi=10.1021/ed010p539|bibcode=1933JChEd..10..539B }}</ref>

Ostwald was deeply interested in questions of [[chemical affinity]] and the reactions that formed [[chemical compounds]]. This was the central theoretical question facing chemists at the time. As part of his early work, Ostwald developed a three-dimensional affinity table that took into account the effects of temperature as well as the affinity constants of [[acids]] and [[Base (chemistry)|bases]].<ref name="Kim" /> Ostwald also investigated [[Law of mass action|mass action]], [[electrochemistry]], and [[chemical dynamics]].<ref name="Nobel" />

Ostwald completed his Magisterial degree at the University of Dorpat in 1877, enabling him to give lectures and charge for teaching.<ref name="Deltete">{{cite journal |last1=Deltete |first1=R. J. |title=Wilhelm Ostwald's Energetics 1: Origins and Motivations |journal=Foundations of Chemistry |date=1 March 2007 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=3–56 |doi=10.1007/s10698-005-6707-5|s2cid=95249997 }}</ref> 
Ostwald published his [[doctoral dissertation]] at the University of Dorpat in 1878, with Carl Schmidt as his [[thesis advisor]].  His [[doctoral thesis]] was entitled ''Volumchemische und Optisch-Chemische Studien'' ("Volumetric and Optical-Chemical Studies").<ref name="Ostwald Park" /> In 1879, he became a paid assistant to Carl Schmidt.<ref name="FamousScientists">{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Doug |title=Wilhelm Ostwald |url=https://www.famousscientists.org/wilhelm-ostwald/ |website=famousscientists.org |access-date=14 August 2020}}</ref>

In 1881, Ostwald became a [[Professor of Chemistry]] at the [[Riga Polytechnicum]] (now Riga Technical University). In 1887, he moved to [[Leipzig University]] where he became Professor of Physical Chemistry.<ref name="Profiles">{{Cite book|title=Profiles in Excellence Nobel Laureates All: 1901–2015|publisher=Panther Publishers|year=2016|editor-last=Rajasekharan|editor-first=P.T.|location=Bangalore, India|chapter=Ostwald, Wilhelm|editor-last2=Tiwari|editor-first2=Arun| isbn=978-1-78539-859-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cfwQnQAACAAJ}}</ref> Ostwald remained on the faculty at Leipzig University until his retirement in 1906. He also served as the first "exchange professor" at [[Harvard University]] in 1904 and 1905.<ref name="Nobel" /><ref name="softschools">{{cite web |title=Wilhelm Ostwald Facts |url=https://www.softschools.com/facts/scientists/wilhelm_ostwald_facts/2019/ |website=softschools.com |publisher=Soft Schools |access-date=19 June 2020}}</ref>

During Ostwald's academic career, he had many research students who became accomplished scientists in their own right. These included future [[Nobel Laureates]] [[Svante Arrhenius]], [[Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff]], and [[Walther Nernst]].
Other students included [[Arthur Amos Noyes|Arthur Noyes]], [[Willis Rodney Whitney]] and [[Kikunae Ikeda]]. All of these students became notable for their contributions to physical chemistry.<ref name="Nobel" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Iwamura |first1=H. |title=In Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo-Its Past and Future |journal=Chemistry: An Asian Journal |date=4 July 2011 |volume=6 |issue=7 |pages=1632–1635 |doi=10.1002/asia.201100323|pmid=21721109 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In 1901, [[Albert Einstein]] applied for a research position in Ostwald's laboratory. This was four years before Einstein's publication on [[special relativity]]. Ostwald rejected Einstein's application, although later the two developed strong mutual respect.<ref name="Isaacson">{{cite news |last1=Isaacson |first1=Walter |title=20 Things You Need to Know About Einstein |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1936731_1936743_1936804,00.html |access-date=8 August 2020 |agency=[[Time Magazine]] |publisher=Time USA, LLC |date=5 April 2007|author1-link=Walter Isaacson }}</ref> Subsequently, Ostwald nominated Einstein for the [[Nobel Prize]] in 1910 and again in 1913.<ref name="Nominations">{{cite web |title=Wilhelm Ostwald – Nominations |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1909/ostwald/nominations/ |website=nobelprize.org |publisher=The Nobel Foundation |access-date=8 August 2020}}</ref>

Following his 1906 retirement, Ostwald became active in philosophy, politics, and other humanities.<ref name="Nobel" />

During the course of his academic career, Ostwald published more than 500 original research papers for the [[scientific literature]] and approximately 45 books.<ref name="FamousScientists" />