Randy Holmes-Farley
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Well, that was the breaking news 250 years ago today!
The biggest achievement of one of the most famous chemists of all time, Joseph Priestly. He also invented carbonated water and the rubber eraser.
Discovery of Oxygen On August 1, 1774, Priestley conducted his most famous experiment. Using a 12-inch wide glass lens, he focused sunlight on a lump of mercuric oxide in an inverted glass container placed in a pool of mercury. The colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas emitted from the lump caused a flame to burn intensely and kept a mouse alive about four times as long as a similar quantity of air.
www.acs.org
The biggest achievement of one of the most famous chemists of all time, Joseph Priestly. He also invented carbonated water and the rubber eraser.
Discovery of Oxygen On August 1, 1774, Priestley conducted his most famous experiment. Using a 12-inch wide glass lens, he focused sunlight on a lump of mercuric oxide in an inverted glass container placed in a pool of mercury. The colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas emitted from the lump caused a flame to burn intensely and kept a mouse alive about four times as long as a similar quantity of air.
Joseph Priestley, Discoverer of Oxygen National Historic Chemical Landmark - American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society: Chemistry for Life.
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