9781422279489

8

Oxygen

entirely consumed when something is burned in it, it must consist of two distinct parts: one that is used up during the burning and one that is not. In 1608, a Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel found that potas- sium nitrate, when heated, released an unidentified gas. (Potassium nitrate is sometimes called saltpeter, and throughout history has been used for fertilizer, food preservation, manufacturing gunpowder and explosives, and a variety of other purposes.) Later, in 1668, British physician and chemist John Mayow suggested that air contained a gas

he called “nitroarial spirit,” which was consumed during breathing and burning—thus giving a fairly good description of oxygen with- out knowing it. By the mid-18th century, sci- entists had embraced the concept of elements. Their goal was to break down Earth, air, fire, and water into more elemental com- ponents. During this period, they

Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel

12