Daniel Rutherford, (November 3, 1749 – November 15, 1819), was a Scottish chemist and physician who was most famous for the discovery of nitrogen in 1772. November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... Events While in debtors prison, John Cleland writes Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Chemist Julie Perkins of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory pours from a Florence flask. ... Physician examining a child A physician is a person who practices medicine. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ... 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Daniel Rutherford was born in Edinburgh and was educated at the University of Edinburgh. As a student, he discovered nitrogen in 1772 and described oxygen, or vital air, as he called it, in 1778. Edinburgh (pronounced ), Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and its capital city. ... The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1786, he was appointed to the Regius Chair of Botany in Edinburgh and as Keeper of the Botanic Gardens, after the death of Professor John Hope (1725-86). Rutherford held these posts until his death. He was also a maternal uncle of Sir Walter Scott. 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The name John Hope can refer to: John Hope, American educator John Hope, American meteorologist and hurricane forecaster John Hope, British political leader This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For the first Premier of Saskatchewan see Thomas Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott (August 14, 1771 - September 21, 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe. ...

Discovery of Nitrogen

When Joseph Black was studying the properties of carbon dioxide, he found that a candle would not burn in it. When a candle was burned in a closed container of air, the candle would go out eventually, and the remaining air would not support a flame. This was normal, but when the carbon dioxide (caused by the candle) was absorbed by chemicals, some air was not. The air that remained did not support a flame. Joseph Black Joseph Black (16 April 1728 - 10 November 1799) was a Scottish physicist and chemist. ... Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

He turned this problem over to his student at the time, Daniel Rutherford. Rutherford kept a mouse in a space with a confined quality of air until it died. Then, he burned a candle in the remaining air until it went out. Afterwards, he burned phosphorus in that, until it would not burn. Then the air was passed through a carbon dioxide absorbing solution. The remaining air did not support combustion, and a mouse could not live in it. This article is about the chemical element. ... Dissolving table salt in water In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture of one or more substances (the solutes) dissolved in another substance (the solvent). ...

Rutherford called the gas noxious air or phlogisticated air. Today, we call it nitrogen. General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ...

Rutherford reported the experiment in 1772. The two men (Rutherford and Black) were convinced of the validity of the phlogiston theory, so they explained their results in terms of the theory. They said that as mice breathed and combustion was created, phlogiston was given off and entered the air, along with the carbon dioxide. When the carbon dioxide was later absorbed, the air still contained pholgiston. In fact, the air was saturated with it. That was why candles and other objects would not burn in it. The phlogiston theory is an obsolete scientific theory of combustion. ...

Rutherford believed that, in like manner, a living creature gives up phlogiston while breathing and when placed in air that is already saturated with phlogiston, can no longer breathe and must die .

External links

• The History of Oxygen