What is the story of the discovery of Oxygen?

Answer 1

The scientist that is most often credited with the discovery of Oxygen is Joseph Priestly. Priestly experimented by placing mice in sealed jars. He noticed they would collapse over time. Once he slipped a piece of mint inside and the plant revived the mouse. He then realized that plants must have been releasing something (oxygen) to revitalize the air. Another scientist who discovered oxygen was Carl Wilhelm Sheele. He found that upon heating mercuric oxide, silver carbonate, magnesium nitrate, and potassium nitrate, the same was released (oxygen). He called this fire air because he noticed sparks being produced when the gas was mixed with charcoal dust. Finally, there is Antoine Laurent Lavoisier. Lavoisier also discovered oxygen, as a means to debunking the existence of phlogiston, a mysterious material used in combustion. Lavoisier heated Mercury a powdery substance formed. Then he heated the powder until it gave off a gas. Lavoisier concluded that combustion resulted from a chemical reaction with gas and not the mysterious phlogiston. He called this gas oxygen because of its ability to create acids.

Answer 2

Oxygen had been produced by several chemists prior to its discovery in 1774, but they failed to recognize it as a distinct element. Joseph Priestley and Carl Wilhelm Scheele both independently discovered oxygen, but Priestly is usually given credit for the discovery. They were both able to produce oxygen by heating mercuric oxide (HgO). Priestley called the gas produced in his experiments 'dephlogisticated air' and Scheele called his 'fire air'. The name oxygen was created by Antoine Lavoisier who incorrectly believed that oxygen was necessary to form all acids.