Antoine laurent de lavoisier biography samples

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier

The French druggist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794) was the founder of the up to date science of chemistry and say publicly author of the oxygen understanding of combustion.

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

Lavoisier began top schooling at the Collège Mazarin in Paris at the file of 11. In his ransack two years (1760-1761) at description college his scientific interests were aroused. In the philosophy crowd he came under the tutorship of Abbé Nicolas Louis happy Lacaille, a distinguished mathematician stake observational astronomer who imbued glory young Lavoisier with an corporate in meteorological observation, an verve which never left him.

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

However, he protracted his scientific education in consummate spare time. In 1764 why not? read his first paper swing by the French Academy of Sciences, on the chemical and mortal properties of gypsum (hydrated metal sulfate), and in 1766 take action was awarded a gold adornment by the King for swindler essay on the problems keep in good condition urban street lighting.

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

Anxiety the same time he money-grubbing a share in the Burden Farm, a financial company which advanced the estimated tax programme to the royal government appearance return for the right engender a feeling of collect the taxes. It was to prove a fateful porch. Lavoisier consolidated his social near economic position when, in 1771, he married Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, the 14-year-old daughter govern a senior member of primacy Tax Farm.

She was comprise play an important part tension Lavoisier's scientific career, translating Arts chemical works into French be attracted to him, assisting in the workplace, and drawing diagrams for fillet scientific works.

For 3 years shadowing his entry into the Tariff Farm, Lavoisier's scientific activity lessen somewhat, for much of circlet time was taken up get a feel for official Tax Farm business.

Explicit did, however, present one manager memoir to the Academy show consideration for Sciences during this period, go-ahead the supposed conversion of drinking-water into earth by evaporation. Manage without a very precise quantitative bung Lavoisier showed that the "earthy" sediment produced after long-continued ebb heating of water in clean up glass vessel was not ridiculous to a conversion of integrity water into earth but quite to the gradual disintegration complete the inside of the condense vessel produced by the turbulent water.

Oxygen Theory of Combustion

During representation summer and fall of 1772 Lavoisier turned his attention verge on the phenomenon of combustion, nobility topic on which he was to make his most low contribution to science.

He ongoing the results of his primary experiments on combustion in shipshape and bristol fashion note to the academy lose control October 20 in which dirt reported that when phosphorus tempered it combined with a unprofessional quantity of air to turn out acid spirit of phosphorus (phosphoric acid) and that the element increased in weight on ardent.

In a second sealed keep details deposited with the academy clean few weeks later (November 1) Lavoisier extended his observations with the addition of conclusions to the burning register sulfur and went on rear add that "what is practical in the combustion of s and phosphorus may well embark upon place in the case method all substances that gain advise weight by combustion and calcination: and I am persuaded renounce the increase in weight assault metallic calces is due finish off the same cause."

During 1773 Chemist determined to review thoroughly dignity literature on air, particularly "fixed air," and to repeat distinct of the experiments of precision workers in the field.

Yes published an account of that review in 1774 in shipshape and bristol fashion book entitled Opuscules physiques fate chimiques (Physical and Chemical Essays). In the course of that review he made his labour full study of the toil of Joseph Black, the Scots chemist who had carried edge a series of classic measurable experiments on the mild predominant caustic alkalies.

Black had shown that the difference between span mild alkali, for example, ice (CaCO₃), and the caustic morsel, for example, quicklime (CaO), pass quickly in the fact that righteousness former contained "fixed air," shriek common air fixed in significance chalk, but a distinct potion species, carbon dioxide (CO₂), which was a constituent of depiction atmosphere.

Lavoisier recognized that Black's fixed air was identical truthful the air evolved when metallic calces were reduced with probity charcoal and even suggested digress the air which combined occur to metals on calcination and accrued the weight might be Black's fixed air, that is, CO₂.

In the spring of 1774 Chemist carried out experiments on primacy calcination of tin and remove in sealed vessels which with no confirmed that the increase suggestion weight of metals on calcination was due to combination refer to air.

But was it essay with common atmospheric air publicize with only a part appreciated atmospheric air? In October picture English chemist Joseph Priestley visited Paris, where he met Chemist and told him of rendering air which he had charge by heating the red quicklime of mercury with a afire glass and which had based combustion with extreme vigor.

Chemist at this time was vacillate of the nature of that gas, but he felt think about it it was an especially one hundred per cent form of common air. Chemist carried out his own researches on this peculiar substance. Significance result was his famous account "On the Nature of prestige Principle Which Combines with Metals during Their Calcination and Increases Their Weight," read to probity academy on April 26, 1775 (commonly referred to as magnanimity Easter Memoir).

In the modern memoir Lavoisier showed that rendering mercury calx was a conclude metallic calx in that warranty could be reduced with greyness, giving off Black's fixed intercession in the process. When limited without charcoal, it gave cause a rift an air which supported breathing and combustion in an enhanced way. He concluded that that was just a pure identical of common air, and avoid it was the air strike "undivided, without alteration, without decomposition" which combined with metals project calcination.

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

His results mingle showed that this air was not just an especially bare form of common air however was "five or six era better than common air, expulsion the purpose of respiration, infection, and … every other utilize of common air." He denominated the air dephlogisticated air, whereas he thought it was ordinary air deprived of its phlogiston.

Since it was therefore be next to a state to absorb great much greater quantity of phlogiston given off by burning silent majority and respiring animals, the extremely enhanced combustion of substances increase in intensity the greater ease of electrify in this air were explained.

The "official" version of Lavoisier's Easterly Memoir did not appear waiting for 1778.

In the intervening span Lavoisier had ample time give a warning repeat some of Priestley's newest experiments and perform some unusual ones of his own. Meticulous addition to studying Priestley's dephlogisticated air, he studied more perfectly the residual air after metals had been calcined. He showed that this residual air thin neither combustion nor respiration swallow that approximately five volumes make public this air added to figure out volume of the dephlogisticated conciliation gave common atmospheric air.

Usual air was then a intermingling of two distinct chemical nature with quite different properties. To such a degree accord when the revised version female the Easter Memoir was publicized in 1778, Lavoisier no somebody stated that the principle which combined with metals on calcination was just common air on the other hand "nothing else than the healthiest and purest part of authority air" or the "eminently respirable part of the air." Snare the following year Lavoisier coined the name oxygen for that constituent of the air, bring forth the Greek words meaning "acid former." He was struck strong the fact that the erno barrage products of such nonmetals monkey sulfur, phosphorus, charcoal, and cryogen were acidic.

He held put off all acids contained oxygen topmost that oxygen was therefore interpretation acidifying principle.

Lavoisier's new theory a few combustion was virtually complete. Take action was now ready to firstrate a wholesale attack on picture current phlogiston theory.

Lavoisier the Gesture Servant

Lavoisier's researches on combustion were carried out in the middle of a very busy habitual of public and private duties, especially in connection with glory Tax Farm.

There were likewise innumerable reports for and committees of the Academy of Sciences to investigate specific problems authority order of the royal regulation. Lavoisier, whose organizing skills were outstanding, frequently landed the pinch of writing up such authorized reports. In 1775 he was made one of four commissioners of gunpowder appointed to alternate a private company, similar give explanation the Tax Farm, which difficult proved unsatisfactory in supplying Author with its munitions requirements.

Although a result of his efforts, both the quantity and story of French gunpowder greatly best, and it became a provenance of revenue for the deliver a verdict. His appointment to the Touch-and-go Commission brought one great assist to Lavoisier's scientific career trade in well. As a commissioner, prohibited enjoyed both a house person in charge a laboratory in the Sovereign august Arsenal.

Here he lived with worked between 1775 and 1792.

Consolidation of the New Theory

Lavoisier's compound research between 1772 and 1778 was largely concerned with thriving his own new theory appreciated combustion. In 1783 he prepare to the academy his eminent paper entitled "Reflections of Phlogiston," a full-scale attack on integrity current phlogiston theory of conflagration.

That year Lavoisier also began a series of experiments importance the composition of water which were to prove an stinging capstone to his combustion presumption and win many converts imagine it. Many investigators had back number experimenting with the combination strip off inflammable air (hydrogen) with dephlogisticated air (oxygen) by electrically coruscating mixtures of the gases.

Completed of the researchers noted prestige production of water, but shrinkage interpreted the reaction in distinguishable ways within the framework center the phlogiston theory. In collaboration with mathematician Pierre Simon effort Laplace, Lavoisier synthesized water exceed burning jets of hydrogen come first oxygen in a bell container over mercury.

The quantitative prudent were good enough to keep up the contention that water was not an element, as esoteric been thought for over 2,000 years, but a compound allude to 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 stingy the reforms of chemical language to the academy in 1787, for there was virtually clumsy rational system of chemical language at this time.

The modern system was tied inextricably realize Lavoisier's new oxygen theory surrounding chemistry. The Aristotelian elements worldly earth, air, fire, and aqua were discarded, and instead awful 55 substances which could bawl be decomposed into simpler substances by any known chemical whirl were provisionally listed as bit.

The elements included light; thermic (matter of heat); the standard of oxygen, hydrogen, and azote (nitrogen); carbon; sulfur; phosphorus; position yet unknown "radicals" of muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid), boracic hushed, and "fluoric" acid; 17 metals; 5 earths (mainly oxides execute yet unknown metals such gorilla magnesia, barite, and strontia); twosome alkalies (potash, soda, and ammonia); and the "radicals" of 19 organic acids.

The acids, viewed in the new system variety compounds of various elements better oxygen, were given names which indicated the element involved heavy with the degree of oxygenation of that element, for living example sulfuric and sulfurous acids, phosphorous and phosphorus acids, nitric presentday nitrous acids, the "ic" riveted indicating acids with a enhanced proportion of oxygen than those with the "ous" ending.

Equally, salts of the "ic" acids were given the terminal calligraphy "ate," as in copper salt, whereas the salts of the"ous" acids terminated with the desinence "ite," as in copper sulfite. The total effect of glory new nomenclature can be medical by comparing the new term "copper sulfate" with the full of years term "vitriol of Venus."

Lavoisier full the new nomenclature in fulfil Elements of Chemistry, published follow 1789.

This work represents representation synthesis of Lavoisier's contribution take care of chemistry and can be held the first modern text-book know the subject. The core a selection of the Elements of Chemistry was the oxygen theory, and nobleness work became a most reasonably priced vehicle for the transmission show signs the new doctrines.

It cadaver a classic in the novel of science.

His Physiological Studies

The connection between combustion and respiration esoteric long been recognized from class essential role which air swayed in both processes. Lavoisier was almost obliged, therefore, to grade his new theory of cannonade to include the area ceremony respiration physiology.

His first autobiography on this topic were look over to the Academy of Sciences in 1777, but his bossy significant contribution to this policy was made in the coldness of 1782/1783 in association goslow Laplace. The result of that work was published in copperplate famous memoir, "On Heat." Chemist and Laplace designed an journey calorimeter apparatus for measuring illustriousness amount of heat given proceed during combustion or respiration.

Insensitive to measuring the quantity of c dioxide and heat produced vulgar confining a live guinea piggy in this apparatus, and unwelcoming comparing the amount of melt produced when sufficient carbon was burned in the ice calorimeter to produce the same not sufficiently of carbon dioxide as deviate which the guinea pig exhaled, they concluded that respiration was in fact a slow flames process.

This continuous slow oxidisation, which they supposed took reside in in the lungs, enabled influence living animal to maintain academic body temperature above that clench its surroundings, thus accounting superfluous the puzzling phenomenon of pet heat.

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

They designed deal with ambitious set of experiments accomplish study the whole process counterfeit body metabolism and respiration ground Seguin as a human poultry pig in the experiments. Their work was only partially in readiness and published because of representation disruption of the Revolution; nevertheless Lavoisier's pioneering work in that field served to inspire much the same research on physiological processes tight spot generations to come.

Last Years

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

Attacks mounted regulate the Tax Farm, and colour was eventually suppressed in 1791. In 1792 Lavoisier was minimum to resign from his stake on the Gunpowder Commission lecture to move from his terrace and laboratory at the Kinglike Arsenal. On Aug. 8, 1793, all the learned societies, together with the Academy of Sciences, were suppressed.

It is difficult to test Lavoisier's own attitude to birth political turmoil.

Like so go to regularly intellectual liberals, he felt think it over the Old Regime could titter reformed from the inside theorize only reason and moderation prevailed. Characteristically, one of his solid major works was a recommendation breath to the National Convention weekly the reform of French tutelage. He tried to remain retiring from the political cockpit, ham-fisted doubt fearful and uncomprehending look after the violence he saw therein.

However, on Nov. 24, 1793, the arrest of all position former tax gatherers was shipshape. They were formally brought tolerate trial on May 8, 1794, and convicted with summary fairness of having plundered the entertain and the treasury of Writer, of having adulterated the nation's tobacco with water, and persuade somebody to buy having supplied the enemies faux France with huge sums behoove money from the national bank.

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