History of oxygen - Lavoisier's contribution

In one experiment, Lavoisier observed that there was no overall increase in weight when Tin and air were heated in a closed container. He noted that air rushed in when he opened the container, which indicated that part of the trapped air had been consumed. He also noted that the Tin had increased in weight and that increase was the same as the weight of the air that rushed back in. This and other experiments on combustion were documented in his book Sur la combustion en général, which was published in 1777. In that work, he proved that air is a mixture of two gases; 'vital air', which is essential to combustion and respiration, and azote (Gk. '''' "lifeless"), which did not support either.

Lavoisier renamed 'vital air' to oxygène in 1777 from the Greek roots (oxys) (acid, literally "sharp," from the taste of acids) and -γενής (-genēs) (producer, literally begetter), because he mistook Oxygen to be a constituent of all acids. (Mellor 1939) Azote later became nitrogen in English, although it has kept the name in French and several other European languages.

Oxygen entered the English language despite opposition by English scientists and the fact that Priestley had priority. This is partly due to a poem praising the gas titled "Oxygen" in the popular book The Botanic Garden (1791) by Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin.

See also:

• History of oxygen
• oxygen