Ritter, Johann Wilhelm (1776–1810)

German physicist who carried out early work on electrolytic cells and discovered ultraviolet radiation.

Ritter was born in Samnitz, Silesia (now in Poland), and studied medicine at Jena. Until 1804 he also taught at Jena and at Gotha, before moving to Munich as a member of the Bavarian Academy of Science.

In 1800, Ritter electrolysed water to produce hydrogen and oxygen and two years later developed a dry battery, both of which phenomena convinced him that electrical forces were involved in chemical bonding. He also compiled an electrochemical series. At about the same time he was studying the effect of light on chemical reactions, and from the darkening of silver chloride in light he discovered ultraviolet radiation.