1300s

Spanish alchemist who first prepared sulfuric acid, the most widely used inorganic chemical in the modern world. This, and other acids obtained from minerals, are much stronger than the organically-based acids known to the Greeks and Arabs, thus making possible many new chemical reactions. As was common practice at time, "false Geber" attributed his work to an earlier figure of repute—Jabir ibn Hayyan (latinized as Geber)—to gain respect. Consequently, little is known about the life of this important medieval alchemist, not even his real name.