Curious, pioneering, influential. VOL. 2, 2024-2025
TheFatherofthePeriodic Table
Heformedthebasisofthemodern periodictable
EndedThePhlogistonTheory HeprovedthePhlogistonTheory wrongwithaexperiment RevolutionisedMultiple FieldsOfChemistry
INTRODUCTION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Scientists uncoversecrets oftheuniverse through groundbreaking research
Along time ago, there was a firm belief that flammable objects contain a combustible component that is released when the object burns. This theory- also known as the ‘Phlogiston theory’- was widely accepted for over hundred years, first proposed by Johann Joachim Becher, 1667. Although the theory attempted to explain chemical reactions such as rusting and combustion, it was invalidated later, by Antoine Lavoisier. Nowadays, it is known as a process called oxidation.
Born in 1743, Antoine Lavoisier grew up as the only son of a wealthy family in Paris, France. Even as a young child, he displayed and exhibited a sense of concern for public benefits and welfare. He consistently attended various lectures on chemistry and physics, expressing interest in science. However, as he grew up, he practised law and was later admitted into the elite ‘Order of Barristers’. Although he achieved prestige through studying law, he started pursuing his best interestscience and research. He gained his title with his dedication to science and its ramified factors, namely chemistry and his discoveries, as well as an abolition of myriads of science theories; defining law of conservation of mass, disproving the phlogiston theory, proposing the existence of 31 true elements to the periodic table, and proved that hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water, thus debunking the four element Greek theory.
Another well-known scientific contribution is the elements on the periodic table! Antoine Lavoisier has eliminated water from the widespread belief of it being an element, as water is the combination of oxygen and hydrogen. Some of these will be explored further, elaborating the impacts and the method he used to prove some of his points.
Unfortunately, in 1794, May 8, a hapless news of Antoine Lavoisier’s death was informed. He was guillotined during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, due to his exercise of power in the old stages As Lavoisier advised the government and provided guidance, popular anger and stereotypes were directed at those who had experienced social privileges. While those in control began to rely on ruling based on fear, Lavoisier tried to advise others that the Academy of Science, where he firmly believed was trustworthy and essential workers, however, ended with an unsuccessful imprisonment with several others.
Nonetheless, he is still renowned, to this day, for his achievement and gamechanging theories; they are used currently with only a few modern adjustments. What and how did he exactly achieve this and how did it influence our modern society?
Antoine Lavoisier, often addressed as the father of modern chemistry, is a significant figure who revolutionized the field He made numerous contributions to chemistry including his combustion theory and novels
Antoine Lavoisier was most famous for his theory on the nature of combustion arguing that combustion is the combination of a combustible material with air accompanied by the release of heat As the leading figure of the 18th century chemical revolution, Lavoisier had deep faith in his theory that matter is neither created nor destroyed in chemical reactions and in his experiments he sought to confirm his theories
Thanks to Lavoisier s wide-spread prestige and authority of Paris and the Academy of Science(assembly of scientists discussing political, ethical and societal issues regarding science), Lavoisier and three of his fellow researchers successfully published a chemical nomenclature Shortly after the publication, Lavoisier finished his following novel Traité élémentaire de chimie (Elementary Treatise on Chemistry) which explicitly stated the precise methods of investigation organization and elaboration (1789)
Moreover Lavoisier made one of the earliest attempts to classify the elements in 1789 where he grouped them based on their chemical properties gases metals and nongases
Lavoisier is renowned not only for his theories in chemistry but for his work in the laboratory According to many biographies Antoine Lavoisier conducted a vast majority of his experiments and manufactured his own apparatus With the company of his wife Marie-Anne Paulze Lavoisier de Rumford Lavoisier produced exquisite illustrations of his practicals
As one of the greatest contributors to modern chemistry and its nature Antoine Lavoisier allowed future pupils and disciples to truly comprehend the significance of his work dedicated to chemistry Because his influential contributions are remembered Antoine Lavoisier still remains as one of the greatest figures of all time
by Yonjay Nam
In experiments with phosphorus and sulphur both of which burned readily Lavoisier showed that they gained weight by combining with air With lead calx he captured a lot of gas liberated when the calcium hydroxide was heated
Combustion fire and flame have been observed and speculated about from earliest times Every civilization has had its explanation for them The Greeks interpreted combustion in terms of philosophical doctrines, one of which was that a certain inflammable principle was contained in all combustible bodies This principle escaped when the body was burned to react with air
A change in the frequency of use of the concept was provided by the phlogiston theory It was believed that the phlogiston was released to air when the substance containing it was burned Treated at first as purely an idea, phlogiston was later conceived as a material substance having weight and sometimes negative weight
As the combustion process was experimented with improved lab equipmen the inadequacy of the phlogiston theory became apparent only in the late 18th century
Lavoisier aimed to demonstrate that particle in the air was involved in combustion process leading to the release of heat and light This was crucial in establishing the modern understanding of chemical reactions and helped to provide the groundwork for the development of modern chemistry His experiments showed the importance of sophisticated measurement and the conservation of mass
by Alfie Tong
How did Lavoisier contributed to the modern chemistry in other aspects?
by Yeonjun Hwang
Lavoisier initially believed acidity was caused by oxygen, coining the term "oxygen" in 1777, meaning "acid maker " Though it was proven wrong, his idea was the first systematic attempt to define acids and bases In 1776, he identified oxygen as "true air" and nitrogen as an "injurious air," proving the atmosphere contained multiple gases His studies of phosphorus and sulfur combustion showed they formed acidic oxides, reinforcing his theory Using Priestley’s nitrous air test, he concluded that oxygen was the key component in acids Though later disproven, his work laid the foundation for modern chemistry
Nonetheless, Lavoisier has discovered the fundaments of combustion He found that a combustion is a phenomenon when a flammable substance combines with ‘oxygen’, which he previously identified He also realized that when a substance combust, the total mass remains the same as the mass gain from oxygen is equivalent to the mass lost by the surrounding atmosphere
Last but not least, thermochemistry Lavoisier proved that during any phase changes that are caused by a heat provision, such as melting and boiling, the total energy of the mass stays the same He argued that the energy released and absorbed in an isolated system will be equivalent to each other, hence no enthalpy change
In the study of the periodic table, Antoine Lavoisier made a significant contribution by being the first to attempt a systematic classification of elements based on their chemical properties He categorized elements into four groups: earth elements, metals, gases, and nonmetals The classification of elements is essential as it facilitates their study by grouping those with similar characteristics, allowing for a more structured and efficient understanding of their properties The periodic table was developed to address the challenge of studying each element individually and managing their diverse attributes Lavoisier’s early attempt at organizing elements laid the groundwork for future advancements in chemical classification, ultimately leading to the development of the modern periodic table His work provided a foundational approach that enabled chemists to study elements systematically, making it easier to understand their behavior and relationships
To conclude, chemistry was transformed by the painstaking experiments of Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier Among his many achievements, he helped systemizing chemical nomenclature, discovered that combustion and respiration are generated by chemical interactions with what he called "oxygen," and developed the law of conservation of mass and energy Also, the atomic theory was influenced by Antoine Lavoisier's work in formulating the law of conservation of mass which proves that every matter is made up of atoms and that they are neither generated nor destroyed during chemical reactions
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