氧气的发现,在化学史上有着十分重要的意义。这不仅因为氧是地球上含量最多、分布最广的元素,是自然界和人类生存不可缺少的元素,而且还在于氧的发现使化学理论发生革命,宣告了统治化学达百年之久的燃素说的破产。自古以来,燃烧现象一直是人类在生活中常见的一种化学变化。五十万年前,原始人就掌握了火。但是,火的实质是什么?长期以来,无论古希腊的四元素说,还是中国古代的五行说,直到中世纪的炼丹或炼金理论,都没有对这个问题作出科学的解答。一六七三年,英国著名科学家罗伯特·波义耳对几种金属进行煅烧实验。他发现这些金属在煅烧 The discovery of oxygen, in the history of chemistry has a very important significance. This is not only because oxygen is the most abundant and widely distributed element on Earth and an indispensable element of nature and human existence. It is also due to the discovery of oxygen that led to the revolution in chemical theory and the declaration of a substance that has ruled the chemistry for centuries Bankruptcy. Since ancient times, the phenomenon of burning has been a common chemical change in human life. Five hundred thousand years ago, the primitive people mastered the fire. However, what is the essence of fire? For a long time, no matter whether the four elements of ancient Greece say or the five elements of ancient China, they did not provide scientific answers to this question until the medieval alchemy or alchemical theory. In sixteen seven three, the famous British scientist Robert Boyle calcined several metals experiment. He found these metals were calcined