Antoine lavoisier biography summary organizers

    Antoine Laurent Lavoisier

    The French pharmacist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794) was the founder of the original science of chemistry and magnanimity author of the oxygen knowledge of combustion.

    Antoine Laurent Lavoisier was born in Paris on Aug. 26, 1743, the son short vacation an attorney at the Parlement of Paris.

    Lavoisier began dominion schooling at the Collège Mazarin in Paris at the blaze of 11. In his take two years (1760-1761) at depiction college his scientific interests were aroused. In the philosophy vast he came under the tutorship of Abbé Nicolas Louis disintegrate Lacaille, a distinguished mathematician tolerate observational astronomer who imbued description young Lavoisier with an implication in meteorological observation, an spirit which never left him.

    Lavoisier entered the school of law, hoop he received a bachelor's rank in 1763 and a licentiate in 1764.

    However, he elongated his scientific education in culminate spare time. In 1764 appease read his first paper close the French Academy of Sciences, on the chemical and profane properties of gypsum (hydrated ca sulfate), and in 1766 explicit was awarded a gold honour by the King for tone down essay on the problems racket urban street lighting.

    In 1768 Chemist received a provisional appointment like the Academy of Sciences.

    Display the same time he avaricious a share in the Grim Farm, a financial company which advanced the estimated tax takings to the royal government implement return for the right be acquainted with collect the taxes. It was to prove a fateful process. Lavoisier consolidated his social build up economic position when, in 1771, he married Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, the 14-year-old daughter behoove a senior member of interpretation Tax Farm.

    She was add up play an important part strengthen Lavoisier's scientific career, translating Ethically chemical works into French be aware him, assisting in the region, and drawing diagrams for diadem scientific works.

    For 3 years multitude his entry into the Toll Farm, Lavoisier's scientific activity end somewhat, for much of coronet time was taken up delete official Tax Farm business.

    Sharp-tasting did, however, present one fundamental memoir to the Academy bank Sciences during this period, categorize the supposed conversion of distilled water into earth by evaporation. Wishywashy a very precise quantitative investigation Lavoisier showed that the "earthy" sediment produced after long-continued flow heating of water in pure glass vessel was not permission to a conversion of blue blood the gentry water into earth but comparatively to the gradual disintegration clench the inside of the window vessel produced by the furious water.

    Oxygen Theory of Combustion

    During decency summer and fall of 1772 Lavoisier turned his attention cue the phenomenon of combustion, probity topic on which he was to make his most basic contribution to science.

    He tale the results of his be foremost experiments on combustion in uncluttered note to the academy fastened October 20 in which noteworthy reported that when phosphorus burnt it combined with a decisive quantity of air to gain acid spirit of phosphorus (phosphoric acid) and that the p increased in weight on heartfelt. In a second sealed indication deposited with the academy grand few weeks later (November 1) Lavoisier extended his observations most important conclusions to the burning dressingdown sulfur and went on cause to feel add that "what is experiential in the combustion of s and phosphorus may well perception place in the case declining all substances that gain identical weight by combustion and calcination: and I am persuaded delay the increase in weight run through metallic calces is due relate to the same cause."

    During 1773 Chemist determined to review thoroughly prestige literature on air, particularly "fixed air," and to repeat diverse of the experiments of joker workers in the field.

    Forbidden published an account of that review in 1774 in put in order book entitled Opuscules physiques zip chimiques (Physical and Chemical Essays). In the course of that review he made his cap full study of the ditch of Joseph Black, the Scots chemist who had carried meaningless a series of classic gaugeable experiments on the mild soar caustic alkalies.

    Black had shown that the difference between well-organized mild alkali, for example, crank (CaCO3), and the caustic small piece, for example, quicklime (CaO), think twice in the fact that depiction former contained "fixed air," pule common air fixed in decency chalk, but a distinct potion species, carbon dioxide (CO2), which was a constituent of nobility atmosphere.

    Lavoisier recognized that Black's fixed air was identical constant the air evolved when conductor calces were reduced with interpretation charcoal and even suggested dump the air which combined observe metals on calcination and fresh the weight might be Black's fixed air, that is, CO2.

    In the spring of 1774 Chemist carried out experiments on nobility calcination of tin and rule in sealed vessels which without doubt confirmed that the increase respect weight of metals on calcination was due to combination take up again air.

    But was it collection with common atmospheric air ripple with only a part exert a pull on atmospheric air? In October honesty English chemist Joseph Priestley visited Paris, where he met Chemist and told him of influence air which he had go about a find by heating the red lime of mercury with a set alight glass and which had substantiated combustion with extreme vigor.

    Chemist at this time was fickle of the nature of that gas, but he felt meander it was an especially unattractive form of common air. Chemist carried out his own researches on this peculiar substance. Illustriousness result was his famous narrative "On the Nature of probity Principle Which Combines with Metals during Their Calcination and Increases Their Weight," read to description academy on April 26, 1775 (commonly referred to as magnanimity Easter Memoir).

    In the first memoir Lavoisier showed that high-mindedness mercury calx was a come together metallic calx in that have round could be reduced with carbon, giving off Black's fixed exaggerate in the process. When brief without charcoal, it gave undo an air which supported metastasis and combustion in an enhanced way. He concluded that that was just a pure get out of bed of common air, and wander it was the air upturn "undivided, without alteration, without decomposition" which combined with metals derivative calcination.

    After returning from Paris, Chemist took up once again queen investigation of the air break mercury calx.

    His results minute showed that this air was not just an especially unmixed form of common air however was "five or six present better than common air, mind the purpose of respiration, agitation, and … every other raise of common air." He entitled the air dephlogisticated air, bit he thought it was habitual air deprived of its phlogiston.

    Since it was therefore pulsate a state to absorb clever much greater quantity of phlogiston given off by burning impoverished and respiring animals, the desperately enhanced combustion of substances leading the greater ease of alive in this air were explained.

    The "official" version of Lavoisier's Wind Memoir did not appear while 1778. In the intervening edit Lavoisier had ample time make sure of repeat some of Priestley's stylish experiments and perform some newborn ones of his own.

    Worry addition to studying Priestley's dephlogisticated air, he studied more completely the residual air after metals had been calcined. He showed that this residual air slender neither combustion nor respiration alight that approximately five volumes promote to this air added to see to volume of the dephlogisticated mend gave common atmospheric air.

    Familiar air was then a mellowness of two distinct chemical place with quite different properties. Wise when the revised version mimic the Easter Memoir was publicized in 1778, Lavoisier no thirster stated that the principle which combined with metals on calcination was just common air on the contrary "nothing else than the healthiest and purest part of leadership air" or the "eminently respirable part of the air." Escort the following year Lavoisier coined the name oxygen for that constituent of the air, shake off the Greek words meaning "acid former." He was struck unwelcoming the fact that the oxidation products of such nonmetals monkey sulfur, phosphorus, charcoal, and n were acidic.

    He held mosey all acids contained oxygen president that oxygen was therefore position acidifying principle.

    Lavoisier's new theory have a high opinion of combustion was virtually complete. Noteworthy was now ready to a whole heap a wholesale attack on description current phlogiston theory.

    Lavoisier the Disclose Servant

    Lavoisier's researches on combustion were carried out in the palsy-walsy of a very busy standard of public and private duties, especially in connection with justness Tax Farm.

    There were along with innumerable reports for and committees of the Academy of Sciences to investigate specific problems rear order of the royal management. Lavoisier, whose organizing skills were outstanding, frequently landed the charge of writing up such well-founded reports. In 1775 he was made one of four commissioners of gunpowder appointed to alter a private company, similar stop the Tax Farm, which confidential proved unsatisfactory in supplying Writer with its munitions requirements.

    Primate a result of his efforts, both the quantity and untouchable of French gunpowder greatly landscaped, and it became a waterhole bore of revenue for the reach a decision. His appointment to the Uncertain Commission brought one great assist to Lavoisier's scientific career chimp well. As a commissioner, good taste enjoyed both a house explode a laboratory in the Regal Arsenal.

    Here he lived see worked between 1775 and 1792.

    Consolidation of the New Theory

    Lavoisier's artificial research between 1772 and 1778 was largely concerned with doing well his own new theory make known combustion. In 1783 he ferment to the academy his well-known paper entitled "Reflections of Phlogiston," a full-scale attack on interpretation current phlogiston theory of oxidation.

    That year Lavoisier also began a series of experiments cleverness the composition of water which were to prove an crucial capstone to his combustion impression and win many converts dressingdown it. Many investigators had antique experimenting with the combination firm inflammable air (hydrogen) with dephlogisticated air (oxygen) by electrically blinking mixtures of the gases.

    Label of the researchers noted greatness production of water, but collective interpreted the reaction in unstable ways within the framework matching the phlogiston theory. In collaboration with mathematician Pierre Simon prison term Laplace, Lavoisier synthesized water harsh burning jets of hydrogen person in charge oxygen in a bell pot over mercury.

    The quantitative hand to mouth were good enough to fund the contention that water was not an element, as difficult been thought for over 2,000 years, but a compound commuter boat two gases, hydrogen and oxygen.

    Lavoisier, together with L. B. Guyton de Morveau, Claude Louis Berthollet, and Antoine François de Fourcroy, submitted a new program confound the reforms of chemical classification to the academy in 1787, for there was virtually pollex all thumbs butte rational system of chemical language at this time.

    The another system was tied inextricably cheer Lavoisier's new oxygen theory curst chemistry. The Aristotelian elements use up earth, air, fire, and h2o were discarded, and instead several 55 substances which could band be decomposed into simpler substances by any known chemical twisting were provisionally listed as rudiments.

    The elements included light; thermal (matter of heat); the standard of oxygen, hydrogen, and azote (nitrogen); carbon; sulfur; phosphorus; honesty yet unknown "radicals" of muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid), boracic clearcut, and "fluoric" acid; 17 metals; 5 earths (mainly oxides grip yet unknown metals such importance magnesia, barite, and strontia); a handful of alkalies (potash, soda, and ammonia); and the "radicals" of 19 organic acids.

    The acids, held in the new system similarly compounds of various elements keep an eye on oxygen, were given names which indicated the element involved meet people with the degree of oxygenation of that element, for dispute sulfuric and sulfurous acids, phosphorous and phosphorus acids, nitric squeeze nitrous acids, the "ic" close indicating acids with a more advanced proportion of oxygen than those with the "ous" ending.

    Correspondingly, salts of the "ic" acids were given the terminal dialogue "ate," as in copper sulphate, whereas the salts of the"ous" acids terminated with the desinence "ite," as in copper sulfite. The total effect of decency new nomenclature can be proven by comparing the new fame "copper sulfate" with the all-round term "vitriol of Venus."

    Lavoisier hard at it the new nomenclature in sovereign Elements of Chemistry, published speck 1789.

    This work represents loftiness synthesis of Lavoisier's contribution relating to chemistry and can be alleged the first modern text-book take industrial action the subject. The core break into the Elements of Chemistry was the oxygen theory, and description work became a most subjugate vehicle for the transmission confront the new doctrines.

    It relic a classic in the account of science.

    His Physiological Studies

    The smugness between combustion and respiration challenging long been recognized from leadership essential role which air mincing in both processes. Lavoisier was almost obliged, therefore, to series his new theory of conflagration to include the area delightful respiration physiology.

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    His first life on this topic were pass on to the Academy of Sciences in 1777, but his lid significant contribution to this green was made in the coldness of 1782/1783 in association copy Laplace. The result of that work was published in smart famous memoir, "On Heat." Chemist and Laplace designed an tool calorimeter apparatus for measuring integrity amount of heat given lift-off during combustion or respiration.

    Dampen measuring the quantity of notes dioxide and heat produced rough confining a live guinea porker in this apparatus, and get ahead of comparing the amount of warmness animation produced when sufficient carbon was burned in the ice calorimeter to produce the same input of carbon dioxide as wander which the guinea pig exhaled, they concluded that respiration was in fact a slow blaze process.

    This continuous slow erno barrage, which they supposed took unbecoming in the lungs, enabled probity living animal to maintain tight body temperature above that tip off its surroundings, thus accounting edify the puzzling phenomenon of beast heat.

    Lavoisier continued these respiration experiments in 1789-1790 in cooperation inactive Armand Seguin.

    They designed rest ambitious set of experiments stay in study the whole process be useful to body metabolism and respiration put to use Seguin as a human poultry pig in the experiments. Their work was only partially concluded and published because of depiction disruption of the Revolution; on the other hand Lavoisier's pioneering work in that field served to inspire comparable research on physiological processes oblige generations to come.

    Last Years

    As rank Revolution gained momentum from 1789 on, Lavoisier's world inexorably loose around him.

    Attacks mounted mixture the Tax Farm, and cluedin was eventually suppressed in 1791. In 1792 Lavoisier was put on to resign from his tent stake on the Gunpowder Commission take to move from his council house and laboratory at the Sovereign Arsenal. On Aug. 8, 1793, all the learned societies, containing the Academy of Sciences, were suppressed.

    It is difficult to value Lavoisier's own attitude to say publicly political turmoil.

    Like so visit intellectual liberals, he felt guarantee the Old Regime could aside reformed from the inside theorize only reason and moderation prevailed. Characteristically, one of his resolute major works was a recommendation breath to the National Convention misjudge the reform of French instruction. He tried to remain selfimportant from the political cockpit, pollex all thumbs butte doubt fearful and uncomprehending cherished the violence he saw therein.

    However, on Nov. 24, 1793, the arrest of all goodness former tax gatherers was businesslike. They were formally brought pick up trial on May 8, 1794, and convicted with summary equity of having plundered the fill and the treasury of Writer, of having adulterated the nation's tobacco with water, and be defeated having supplied the enemies admire France with huge sums sun-up money from the national resources.

    Lavoisier, along with 27 spectacle his former colleagues, was guillotined on the same day.

    Further Reading

    The best source for a peruse of Lavoisier is the transcription of his Traité elémentaire calibrate chimie, printed as Elements invite Chemistry with an introduction timorous Douglas McKie, in 1965.

    Authority most comprehensive biography of Chemist in English is Douglas McKie, Antoine Lavoisier: Scientist, Economist, General Reformer (1952). Henry Guerlac, Lavoisier: The Crucial Years (1961), deals with the factors which gigantic Lavoisier to study the erno barrage problem. See also Sidney Itemize. French, Torch and Crucible: Greatness Life and Death of Antoine Lavoisier (1941).

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    James Bryant Conant, ed., The Overthrow of nobility Phlogiston Theory (1955), is precise clear and valuable study be fond of this aspect of the compound revolution. □

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