The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements & BBC Chemistry - A Volatile History: Episode 1

Humphry Davey

1776 BCE

Davey studied chemistry for 18 months, he was the son of wood carver and when he was 16 years old he left school to support the family. Davey also invented the " laughing gas " and he would mostly test carbon monoxide and he felt ill for at least 24hrs. He would also ask each of his subjects to record their impressions on inhaling nitrous oxide. At 22 years old Davey discovered potassium and sodium.

Antoine Lavoisier

1774 BCE

Lavoisier was born in a well due to family and he took a degree in law and he would collect taxes for King Lewy, but his true passion was chemistry, and shared that interest with his wife Maria Ann P. he considered her one of his business partners. They married when she was 13 years old. She would draw illustrations of the lab and what was going on when Lavoisier was doing an experiment. He would spend all day in his lab before and right after dinner. He also discovered oxygen.

1772

1772 BCE

Priestly found a better method by generating carbon dioxide by injecting it into the water, in 3 minutes he was able to make sparkling water and that's where he invented carbonation.

Joseph Priestly

1766 BCE

Priestly found himself getting obsessed with new fields and he would be "messing around" which lead him to discover 9 new types of gases which are Nitrous Air, Diminished Nitrous Air, Nitrous Vapor, Marine Acid air, Alkaline air, inflammable air, Vitriolic Air, Fluor Acid and Dephlogisticate air.

Joseph Black

1754 BCE

He would find a cure for kidney stones. When he discovered he poured acid on a chalky substance and find out the air was different which turned out to be fixed air which we know as carbon dioxide.

7 Scientist

1700 BCE

Marie Curie, Humphry Davey, Seaborg, Lavoisier, Priestly, Moseley, Mendeleev

1767

1767

Priestly was assigned to another congregation and it happened to be next to a brewery where he found himself very invested he also discovered a haze from carbon dioxide and he found that if you pour water into another cup with the gases and it would become bubbly.

33 Replaced Names

1777

Dephlogisticated Air - Oxygen
Astringent Mars Saffron - Iron Oxide
Oil of Vitriol- Sulphuric Acid
Philosophical Wool - Zinc Oxide

Henry Cavendish

1778

Cavendish lived in virtual isolation at his home. He would have his servants communicate with him in writing, you would not be able to look him directly in the eyes which today is called autism. Henry was described as the richest of the learned. He had discovered hydrogen which was inflammable air.