It was Newton's contemporary, Stahl, who invented the doctrine of phlogiston in order to account for combustion.
And that as animals receive their nourishment from vegetables they also obtain in a secondary manner their phlogiston from the sun.
The disciples of Stahl, which till lately included the whole chemical world, believed in the identity of phlogiston in all bodies which would flame or calcine.
The dispute among philosophers about phlogiston is not concerning the existence of an inflammable principle, but rather whether there be one or more inflammable principles.
It will be recalled that one basis for the belief in phlogiston was the fact that when a metal was calcined it was converted into an ash, giving up its "phlogiston" in the process.
His explanations of chemical phenomena were based on the phlogiston theory, in which, like Priestley, he always, believed.
As manganese does not give any colorless solution without uniting with phlogiston (probably meaning hydrogen), it follows that marine acid can dissolve it without this principle.
In other words, phlogiston was something imprisoned in a combustible structure (itself forming part of the structure), and only liberated when this structure was destroyed.
Most of the chemists, however, attempted to harmonize the new facts with the older theories--to explain all the phenomena on the basis of the phlogiston theory, which was still dominant.
He then examined the process of calcination, whereby the phlogiston of the metal was supposed to have been drawn off.
At first the phlogiston theory seemed to explain in an indisputable way all the known chemical phenomena.
Being a believer in thephlogiston theory, however, he failed to interpret his results correctly.
While studying the action of hydrochloric acid upon the mineral pyrolusite, in 1774, Scheele obtained a yellowish, gaseous substance to which he gave a name in keeping with the phlogistontheory then current.
The ashes left after combustion would not burn because all the phlogiston had escaped.
If the phlogiston could be restored in any way, the substance would then become combustible again.
My thoughts about the unexpected generation of light and fire out of water, fine earth, and phlogiston I reserve to describe at a later time.
This was expressed in the language of the day as the reconstruction of metallic lead by the addition of phlogiston (the hydrogen) to the calx of lead (minium).
About the same time Lavoisier overthrew the phlogiston doctrine and showed that in the combustion of organic substances water and CO{2} are formed.
And thus he proceeds, ever doing interesting things, but blind to the patent results because he had phlogiston constantly before him.
Their one subject was phlogiston and its rôle in very simple chemical operations.
Their interpretation sadly enough is very false, all because of the persistent introduction of phlogiston where it was not essential.
It wasphlogiston and that only which occasioned the electric current.
It seems that these creatures live only upon the phlogiston in fire-air, perhaps also upon the heat.
Since mercury, however, really loses its phlogiston as well by means of vitriolic acid as of the acid of nitre, it must necessarily assume this again as soon as it recovers its metallic property.
The acid of nitre can attract phlogiston in varying quantity, when it likewise receives other properties with each proportion.
The experiments seem to prove that the transference ofphlogiston to the air does not always diminish its bulk, which, however, the experiments mentioned in §§ 8.
It is also to be observed that fire-air, vitiated by the lungs, extinguishes fire; why does not the aerial acid attract the phlogiston again?
Where this phlogiston has gone to during the circulation of the blood, I leave to others to ascertain.
If plants abstract thephlogiston from the air, the aerial acid must be lighter.
This is a remarkable circumstance, that the fire-air which had previously removed from the mercury its phlogiston in a slow calcination, gives this same phlogiston up to it again when the calx is simply made red-hot.
This acid holds this small quantity of phlogiston so firmly that even the air, which so strongly attracts the inflammable substance, is not able to separate this from it.
Others believe that earth and phlogiston are the things from which all material nature has derived its origin.
But since phlogiston is a substance, which always presupposes some weight, I much doubt whether such hypothesis has any foundation.
We cannot refer to the weight for any such assurance; for by supposition the presence and absence of phlogiston makes no difference in the weight.
An enormous quantity of phlogiston with which some calces, as calx of manganese, are capable of combining, destroys the metallic appearance of the body, and renders it incapable of dissolving in acids.
If we drive off the whole phlogiston we can scarcely unite the calx with phlogiston again, or bring it back to the state of a metal: hence the extreme difficulty of reducing the calx of zinc, and even the red calx of iron.
But though the opinions of chemists about the nature and properties of phlogiston in a separate state were unsettled, no doubts were entertained respecting its existence, and respecting its identity in all combustible bodies.
The identity of phlogiston in all combustible bodies was founded upon observations and experiments of so decisive a nature, that after the existence of the principle itself was admitted, they could not fail to be satisfactory.
The calx united to a littlephlogiston still retains its earthy appearance--a certain additional portion restores the calx to the state of a metal.
These calces are capable of uniting with phlogiston in indefinite proportions.
This opinion was very different from that of Stahl, who considered combustible bodies as compounds of phlogiston with acids or calces.
The various colours of bodies are owing to phlogiston, and these colours vary with every alteration in the proportion of phlogiston present.
But if phlogiston has the property of repelling all other substances, how comes it to be fixed in combustible bodies?
When we inquire further, and endeavour to learn what qualities phlogiston was supposed to have in its separate state, we find this part of the subject very unsatisfactory, and the opinions very unsettled.
The affinity between a metallic calx and phlogiston is strong; but the facility of union is greatly promoted when the calx still retains a little phlogiston.
Many other facts of a like nature were explicable in terms of the phlogiston theory, and it became exceedingly popular.
The violence or completeness of combustion was proportional to the amount of phlogiston present.
Whereas in bodies which are not inflammable, the heat occasioned by the emission of their own phlogiston may not be sufficient for this purpose, but an additional heat ab extra may be necessary.
This experiment, however, seems to prove that acid air and phlogiston may form a permanent kind of air that is not inflammable.
Acid air andphlogiston constitute an air which either extinguishes flame, or is itself inflammable, according, probably, to the quantity of phlogiston combined in it, or the mode of combination.
It is also probable, from these experiments, that the sulphureous smell, which is occasioned by electricity, being very different from that of fixed air, the phlogiston in the electric matter itself may contribute to it.
That phlogiston should communicate absolute levity to the bodies with which it is combined, is a supposition that I am not willing to have recourse to, though it would afford an easy solution of this difficulty.
It is probable, therefore, that electric light comes from the electric matter itself; and this being a modification of phlogiston, it is probable that all light is a modification of phlogiston also.
According to this philosopher, the phlogiston of the combustible combines, during combustion, with the air, and at the same time separates the caloric and light with which that fluid had been previously united.
Mr. Kirwan attempted to answer it, and to prove thatphlogiston is no other than hydrogen.
The identity of Phlogiston in all combustible bodies was founded upon observations and experiments of so decisive a nature, that after the existence of the principle itself was admitted, they could not fail to be satisfactory.
Phosphorus then must consist, say the Stahlians, ofPhlogiston and this acid.
They accordingly endeavoured to evade the difficulty, not only by asserting that phlogistonhad no weight, but that it was actually endowed with a principle of levity.
His last scientific work, published in 1800, bears the title, "The Doctrine of Phlogiston established, and that of the Composition of Water refuted.
By these are meant the supporters of the phlogistic theory, who at present consider hydrogen, or the base of inflammable air, as the phlogiston of the celebrated Stahl.
Some very distinguished chemists consider hydrogen as the phlogiston of Stahl; and as that celebrated chemist admitted the existence of phlogiston in sulphur, charcoal, metals, &c.
He was one of the last supporters in England of the phlogistic hypothesis, for which he contended in his Essay onPhlogiston and the Constitution of Acids (1787), identifying phlogiston with hydrogen.
It was spreading, apparently just under the phlogiston layer, reflecting back the glare.
And phlogiston will quench the flame of a rocket, as your expert von Braun discovered.
It teetered out of the hole and seemed to hover, spitting great gouts of flame as it encountered the phlogiston layer.
The sun must have been moving fast enough so that no single spot became too hot, or else the phlogiston layer somehow dissipated the heat.
Also, the phlogiston has negative weight, as every school child must know.
Suffice to say it has no true heat, but does send forth an activating principle against the phlogiston layer, which being excited grows vengeful against the air .
An Essay on Phlogiston and the Constitution of Acids, London, 1789.
A popular account of the development of the phlogiston theory from alchemy, giving explanations of the curious beliefs and methods of working of the alchemists.
This treats fully the subject of the phlogiston theory and its influence in the development of chemistry.
Now, as the Acid of this Salt, which is the Vitriolic, hath a greater affinity with the phlogiston than with any other substance, it will quit its basis to unite with the phlogiston of the coal, and be converted by that union into a Sulphur.
From the Marine Acid combined with a Phlogiston results a kind of Sulphur, differing from the common sort in many respects; but particularly in this property, that it takes fire of itself upon being exposed to the open air.
The black flux is very well adapted both to absorb the Acid that remains united with the Copper, and to restore the phlogiston which the metal hath lost.
The Phlogiston contained in this quantity of Tartar is more than sufficient to alkalizate the Nitre.
Nitre deflagrates with Sulphur on account of the Phlogiston which the latter contains.
Besides, this small portion of Lead can be of no prejudice to the operation, because it cannot communicate its phlogiston to the rest of the matter.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "phlogiston" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
