Experiments relating to phlogiston and the conversion of water into air, 1783

Mss.540.1.P93

Date: 1783 | Size: 1 volume(s), 1 volume, 32 p.
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Abstract

This essay discusses Priestley's experiments concerning phlogiston, also called "the principle of inflammability," which was once thought to be a volatile substance that was part of all combustible matter and was released as flame in combustion.

Background note

Joseph Priestley was an educator, scientist, and theologian.

Collection Information

Physical description

1 volume, 32 p.

Provenance

Gift from Samuel Vaughan and accessioned, 1784 (2702).

Early American History Note

This tall, slender volume details Joseph Priestley's experiments with the principles of fire, specifically inflammability, in 1783. The volume contains an essay laying out the theory of and debate surrounding "phlogiston" and then describes the experiments he took to prove its existence.

Indexing Terms


Genre(s)

  • Manuscript Essays
  • Scientific Data

Personal Name(s)

  • Lavoisier, Antoine Laurent, 1743-1794
  • Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804

Subject(s)

  • Phlogiston.
  • Science and technology