Antoine LavoisierAntoine Lavoisier (1743-1794) Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (lah vwah ZYAY) was one of the best-known French scientists and an important government official. His theories of combustion, his development of a method of classifying elements, and the first modern textbook on chemistry made him known as the father of modern chemistry. He contributed to much of the research in the field of chemistry. He is quoted as saying: “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.” Lavoisier was born in Paris, France on August 26, 1743. At the age of eleven, he attended a college called Mazain. During his last two years of university, Lavoisier showed himself very interested in science. He received an excellent education and developed an interest in all branches of science, especially chemistry. Abbot Nicolas Louis de Lacaill taught Lavoisier meteorological observation. In 1763, Lavoisier obtained his baccalaureate and in 1764 a license which allowed him to practice his profession. In his free time, he studied books on science. His first article was on gypsum, also known as hydrated calcium sulfate. He described its chemical and physical properties. He was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1768. In 1771, he married Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze. She helped Lavoisier by drawing diagrams for his scientific work and translating English notation for him. Unlike previous chemists, Lavoisier paid particular attention ...