Antoine Laurent Lavoisier

Great French scientist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier was a leading figure in the field of development of chemistry. At the time of his birth in Paris in 1743, chemical science far behind than physics, mathematics and astronomy. A large number of discoveries that stand on their own have found a lot of experts in chemistry, but no one theoretical framework that can be a handle that can summarize the information separate. At that kind of belief spread that does not ensure that water and air is an elementary substance. Even worse, the misunderstanding of the nature rather than fire. A growing belief that time is that all objects contain the combustion process, alleged suspect substance called "phlogiston," and that during the combustion process, the substance of goods phlogiston burned it releases into the air.
In the period between the years 1754 - 1774, chemical experts, talented as Joseph Black, Joseph Priestley, Henry Cavendish and others have isolated the importance of gases such as oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. However, since these people accept the theory of phlogiston, they do not want to understand the nature or significance of a chemical substance which they had ketemukan. Oxygen, for example, is seen as the air it all phlogiston had been shifted. (As we know that more perfect wood chips burned in oxygen than in air, this may be due to more easily suck the air from the timber phlogiston latest). Clearly, real progress in the field of chemistry can not occur before the main basics can be understood.
The successful Lavoisier and handle the parts into the puzzle as one that can be justified and find the right direction in the theory of chemistry. In the first stage, said Lavoisier, phlogiston theory completely misses: there is no such thing as phlogiston objects. Combustion process consists of a chemical combination of combustion products with oxygen. Second, water is not good at all but one elementary mixture of oxygen and hydrogen. The air is not an elementary substance, but also consists primarily of a mixture of two types of gas, oxygen and nitrogen. All of these statements now seem obvious now, but not be arrested either by Lavoisier predecessors and contemporaries colleagues. Even after Lavoisier formulated his theory and presents it to the scientific community, nevertheless, still many leaders chemist who reject the idea of this theory. However, Lavoisier's brilliant book the Principles of Basic Chemistry (1789), so bright and the clarity of this hypothesis and put forward a very convincing and outperformed other opinions, then the chemical experts, the younger generation quickly trust.
As he proved that water and air is not the chemical elements, Lavoisier included in his book also lists substances that objects are considered a fundamental meaning and nature of elementary though the list contains several errors, the modern list of chemical elements present in reality an extension of what had already been prepared Lavoiser it.
Lavoiser had prepared the first scheme of compact chemical system (in collaboration with Berthollet, Guyton de Fourcroi and Morveau). Lavoisier in the system (which became the basis grip until now) the chemical composition described by its name. For the first time acceptance of a uniform chemical system is described that allows chemists around the world can contact each other in terms of their findings.
Lavoisier was the first to clearly express the principles of object storage of chemical reactions without any particular form: that is, the reaction can set back the right elements in the original substance, but nothing is indestructible, and the final results in the same weight as original components. Lovoisier beliefs about the importance of considering the accuracy of chemical reactions that involve changing the chemistry to be exact science as well as prepare the way for many advances in the field of chemistry in the days afterward.
Lavoisier also contributed in the field of geological research, and also contribute in a convincing weight in the field of physiology. With a supremely experiment carefully (in collaboration with Laplace), he was able to show that the physiological process of sweating or sweat is basically the same as slow burning process. In other words, human and animal nations draw their energy from organic combustion process slowly from within, with the use of oxygen in the air dihimpunnya. This discovery alone - which may be equivalent to the importance of Harvey's discovery of the circulation of blood - enough dalan Lavoisier put this book order list. In addition, Lavoisier had a very important meaning because of the chemical formulation of the theory as a starting point for the sector unshakable knowledge of chemistry on the right track. He is generally regarded as the "founder of modern chemistry", and indeed he deserves the name.
Just as some of the sequences listed in this book, Lavoisier actually studied law at the time adolescence. Although he can his law degree and was appointed an expert in environmental law but not once did he ever practice their knowledge, although there he engaged in the world of French administrative offices and public affairs services. But above all he was active in the French Royal Academy of Science. He is also member of the Ferme Generale, an organization engaged in the tax affairs of the world. As a result, after the French Revolution of 1789, the revolutionary government very suspicious.
Finally he was arrested, along with twenty-seven members of the Ferme Generale. Court revolution may not hair-splitting, but the process went quickly. On a day on May 8, 1794 the twenty-seven people were prosecuted, found guilty and beheaded by guillotine. Lavoisier could survive with a smart wife who always helped in the investigation work.
At trial, there was a request that the case be separated Lavoisier, as he put forward a number of service he had done for society and science. The judge refused the request with brief comments "the Republic does not need the people of genius." Great mathematician Langrange just snapped and defended his friend: "It takes no time at all to cut off a head, but not enough time for a hundred years kind of puts his head on his original position."