Lavoisier Names Oxygen and Overturns Phlogiston Theory
1777-1778 · Early Modern
Antoine Lavoisier published two memoirs demonstrating that combustion involves combination with a specific component of air rather than release of phlogiston. He named this component oxygen from Greek roots meaning acid-former, believing it was present in all acids. His oxygen theory explained why substances gain mass during combustion, a phenomenon phlogiston theory could not account for, and established the framework for modern chemical nomenclature.
Key Figures
Antoine LavoisierMarie-Anne Paulze Lavoisier
Locations
Paris, France
Topics
phlogistonoxygen namingcombustion theorychemical revolutionmass gain in oxidationacid theory
Connected Events — 4 Connections
Lavoisier's oxygen theory extended his conservation of mass experiments Lavoisier Demonstrates Conservation of Mass
Lavoisier's identification of combustion products including CO2 laid chemical groundwork for Arrhenius Arrhenius Calculates CO2-Driven Warming
The Traite codified the oxygen theory Lavoisier established when naming oxygen Marie-Anne Paulze Lavoisier Illustrates Traite Elementaire de Chimie
Lavoisier built on Priestley's isolation of dephlogisticated air to identify oxygen Priestley Isolates Oxygen
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