How to Discover an Element
<p>How do you perform an experiment on a substance that is essentially unobservable — it is formless, has no taste or smell, and is invisible? An experiment for such a substance may not be so tough for a modern scientist to envision, but it’s damn near impossible for a 17th century aspiring chemist relying on a <a href="https://medium.com/pasteurs-quadrant/the-beginning-of-chemistry-5cec8ede0604" rel="noopener">2000 year old theory of matter</a>. Remember, at this point, air is considered an element — i.e., a substance that cannot be broken down any further, or in other words, something that is considered to be in its purest state. Determining the composition of air seems like dead-end research project perfect for forcing onto a poor, unsuspecting 18th century grad student.</p>
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