Discovery School - 100 Greatest Discoveries - Chemistry
1. Oxygen (1770s) Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen; later, Antoine Lavoisier clarifies the nature of elements. Priestley produces oxygen in experiments and describes its role in combustion and respiration. Then, by dissolving fixed air in water, he invents carbonated water. Priestley, oblivious to the importance of his discovery, calls the new gas "dephlogisticated air." Lavoisier gives oxygen its name and correctly describes its role in combustion.
Chemistry examines 10 people who made some of the most progressive steps in the field. Entries include Gerty Cori, John Dalton, Emil Hermann Fischer, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, Percy Julian, Irving Langmuir, Antoine Lavoisier, Dmitry Mendeleyev, Linus Pauling, and Joseph Priestley.
