Quantitative chemistry · 1743–1794
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier
Lavoisier helped reorganize chemistry around the composition of substances and measurements of mass. He interpreted combustion as combination with oxygen, and his account explained the increased mass of many metals after burning. His laboratory and publications depended on collaborators, including Marie-Anne Paulze Lavoisier. His 1789 textbook consolidated a new chemical language, although parts of the system, including his account of acidity, were later corrected.
Contribution & context
He supplied an influential interpretation and framework for measurement. That role complements the oxygen preparations of Scheele and Priestley rather than replacing their contributions.
Discoveries in context
The gas that changed the explanation of fire ↗
Scheele and Priestley prepared an unusual gas; Lavoisier and his collaborators helped make it central to a different chemical system.
Sources & further reading
- Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier ↗Science History InstituteHistorical account · Source checked
Sources and further reading. What the review labels mean