How was this discovery applied to future uses?
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
This was before Priestley discovered Oxygen, but the both of them helped other scientists to discover new things about oxygen. In 1772, two years before Joseph discovered Oxygen, Carl Wilhelm Scheele noticed that if you heated manganese to a red-hot color it will produce a gas. Carl called this gas, "fire air" because it produced sparks whenever it came in contact with charcoal dust. Scheele did this same experiment with several other metals and noticed that the same thing happened.
Antoine Lavoisier Discovers that Combustion Requires Oxygen
Lavoisier noticed that when he combined air with sulfur and phosphorus, they gained weight. He then heated lead calx and he captured large amounts of air during the process. Phlogiston did not explain the reason for his results though. After this he went on to his actual discovery of oxygen, by heating mercuric oxide.
Course of Events that led Joseph to his Discovery:
The first and most important thing that led him to his discovery was when he met Benjamin Franklin who inspired him to become a scientist. If he had not met Franklin, he may have never became a scientist or discover oxygen.
His curiosity as to why the mouse could not breathe when contained in an enclosed area for a certain amount of time. Also, he wanted to know the reason why things burned, the answer to that was oxygen as he discovered.
His curiosity as to why the mouse could not breathe when contained in an enclosed area for a certain amount of time. Also, he wanted to know the reason why things burned, the answer to that was oxygen as he discovered.
Video: Joseph Priestley Discovers Oxygen
Scientific Breakthroughs Related to this Discovery: What's their Relation?
Scientists Invent Particles that Allow One to Live Without Breathing.
In 2012, scientists invented these particles that allow a person to live without breathing oxygen. One injects these micro-particles into their bloodstream, these micro particles act live oxygen and allow one to live. This would be extremely useful to people with breathing problems. They say it could save millions of lives! These particles are made of oxygen gas pocketed in a layer of lipids.
How did these scientific breakthroughs relate to each other?
When Priestley was experimenting with that mouse, he noticed that the mouse needed air to breathe and that it could not breath in the glass jar with fire producing CO2 in it, he needed oxygen to survive. Oxygen is required to keep one alive, so the scientists used oxygen in the injections to keep oxygen in the bloodstream for life. Priestley used oxygen from a plant to keep a mouse alive when he was unable to breathe, and the injection places amounts of oxygen in it too keep one alive until it wears off.
Beliefs on Air & Oxygen
What did everyone believe before his discovery?
Before his discovery, everyone believed it to be just "air". Now there were different types of air one often referred to, but they had no physical proof, or place for, the element. The way they used to alter the nature of air was to burn or heat compounds in it.
What are their beliefs now?
People now refer to air as oxygen when it comes to science. The discovery helped humans to get a much better understanding and reasoning for questions such as "why do things burn"? The discovery of oxygen also led to other discoveries, this could have been a missing element to a scientists problem that led to a different discovery.
How did the discovery impact the scientific community?
Scientists and curious people finally had an answer for many unanswered questions. This discovery also led to many other discoveries, some of which may be stated on this website. If this element had not been discovered, not only by Priestley, but by anyone, there would be so many remaining questions and we may not have the technology we have today. Our whole way of life could be different.