Some Accomplishments!

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-94) did so much for chemistry, may be more than anyone else. He was one of the first to introduce effective quantitative methods in the study of chemical reactions. He explained combustion. He clearly described the role of oxygen in the respiration of plants and animals. He developed a system of classification of substances that is the basis of modern chemical nomenclature and the basis of the distinction between elements and compounds. However, Lavoisier failed to do the one thing he wanted the most to do: discover a new element.