Who among the following coined the name oxygen for the element released by mercury oxide in 1779?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Antoine Lavoisier.
Antoine Lavoisier, a French chemist, coined the name 'oxygen' in 1779 after studying the gas released from the thermal decomposition of mercury oxide (HgO). Though Joseph Priestley had discovered the gas earlier in 1774, calling it 'dephlogisticated air,' it was Lavoisier who correctly identified it as a new element essential for combustion and respiration. He named it 'oxygen,' derived from Greek words meaning 'acid former,' based on the (now incorrect) belief that oxygen was a component of all acids. Lavoisier’s work revolutionized chemistry, helping to disprove the phlogiston theory and laying the foundation for modern chemical science.
Other Options:
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Martin Klaproth: Discovered several elements (e.g., uranium, zirconium), but not associated with naming oxygen.
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Jons Jacob Berzelius: Contributed to chemical symbols and atomic theory, but lived later and did not name oxygen.
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John Dalton: Known for atomic theory, not for discovering or naming oxygen.