Episode 2 of 3
Isolation of Dephlogisticated Air
- When
- 1 August 1774
- Where
- Wiltshire, England
Priestley isolates oxygen from mercuric oxide using sunlight in Wiltshire.
On 1 August 1774, Priestley focused sunlight on mercuric oxide in a glass tube, liberating a gas. He named it dephlogisticated air and noted its effect on his lungs. He delayed further investigation due to an impending European tour with Lord Shelburne.
Sources
- Oxygen Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21
- Joseph Priestley Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-16
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.