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Hydrogen
Henry Cavendish was the English scientist who discovered hydrogen in the year 1766. It is the first element on the periodic table and the most abundant. It was used long before it was recognized as an element. He ran an experiment using zinc and hydrochloric acid, and he also discovered that hydrogen produces water when it is burned. -
Antoine Lavoisier
In 1779 Lavoisier came up with the name oxygen for the element released by mercury oxide. He discovered oxygen made up 20 percent of air and was important for combustion and respiration. He also discovered that when phosphorus or sulfur are burned in air, the products are formed by the reaction of these elements with oxygen. -
Discovery of Oxygen
Scientist Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen in 1774. He discovered it during a series of experiments, he used a 12 inch thick piece of glass, or "burning lens", to heat up mercuric oxide. While heating it up he discovered it was a gas that could ignite a glowing ember. He tried breathing it in and there was no affect to him or his health. -
Gay-Lussac's Law
Gay-Lussac discovered that the pressure of a given mass of gas varies directly with the temperature of gas when the volume of gas is constant. His discovery is similar to Charles' Law with the exception of the type of container. In Lussac's Law the container is rigid, in Charles' it is in a flexible container. -
Sir William Ramsay
Between 1894 an 1898, he discovered that there are at least three more elements that have not been discovered. He found this out using the positions of helium and argon. He isolated the elements neon, krypton, and xenon from air and turning them to a liquid state. He discovered the rest of the noble gases that now exist on the periodic table.
