chemical revolution

(noun)

The 18th-century reformulation of chemistry that culminated in the law of conservation of mass and the oxygen theory of combustion. During the 19th and 20th century, this transformation was credited to the work of the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier (the "father of modern chemistry"). However, recent work on the history of early modern chemistry considers it to consist of gradual changes in chemical theory and practice that emerged over a period of two centuries.

Related Terms

Examples of chemical revolution in the following topics:

  • The Spread of Revolution

  • Japan's Industrial Revolution

  • The October Revolution

  • Egypt's First Revolution

  • The Iranian Revolution

  • The Cultural Revolution

  • The Green Revolution

  • Productivity Gains from Technology

    • Probably the first period in history in which an economic progress was observable during one generation was the British Agricultural Revolution in the 18th century.
    • High productivity growth began during the late 19th century in what is sometimes called the Second Industrial Revolution.
    • Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, some of the major contributors to productivity have been as follows:
    • Energy efficiency in the conversion of energy to process heat or chemical energy in the manufacture of materials;
    • Scientific agriculture: fertilizers and the green revolution, and livestock and poultry management;

  • Physical and Chemical Changes to Matter

    • There are two types of change in matter: physical change and chemical change.
    • As the names suggest, a physical change affects a substance's physical properties, and a chemical change affects its chemical properties.
    • Many physical changes are reversible (such as heating and cooling), whereas chemical changes are often irreversible or only reversible with an additional chemical change.
    • Chemical changes are also known as chemical reactions.
    • Rotting, burning, cooking, and rusting are all further types of chemical changes because they produce substances that are entirely new chemical compounds.

  • Charles X and the July Revolution