44 Oxygen
wire mesh stand. Priestley’s glass tube ended just under the open mouth of one of these bottles so that whatever gas he produced would bubble up into, and be trapped in, that glass jar.
As his powdered mercury compound heated, clear bubbles began to drift up from the
end of the glass tube. The jar began to fill. Priestley filled three bottles with the gas and was
thus the first human to successfully trap this mysterious gas. But what was it?
Priestley carefully raised one bottle out of the water. He held a lit candle beneath its
mouth. The dim glow around the candle’s wick erupte B??F?'&????B&???bf?&R?2&W?'FVB?F??27G&?vRv2F?Bf?&6R7V'7F?6W2F?'W&?f?W&6V???&?W7F?W??6VB?Wr?"?f???VBv?F??&F??'??"?W6?FRF?v???F?Rv?&R7F?B?W?@?F?6V6??B?"?b??2?7FW'?v2??R?6VB??W6R??V6??"??Bv?FVB?F?R??W6R????&F??'??"&Vv?F?7G'Vvv?Rf?"'&VF???#??WFW2?F?R??W6R????26V6??B?"?bF??0?7G&?vRv2'&VF?VB6??f?'F&?f?"?fW"C??WFW2?F?W&R6VV?VB?????R??Rf?"F??2????rv3?( ?W&R?"?( ?&?W7F?W?6&VgV???&?6VB?"?b( ?W&R?.( ??WB?b??2GV"??R???VB??2?v???6R??F??G2v?FR??WF????0??V'B&Vv?F?&VBf7FW"??R6??6VB??2W?W2?vF?W&VB??26?W&vR??B'&VF?VB??0?FVW?2?R6?V?B??6W?fV?B??F???r?FBg&??F??2'&VF???RG&?VB6V6??B'&VF??BfV?B???@?f???VBv?F?V?W&w??&?W7F?W?( ?2'&VF?fV?B'F?7V?&??v?B?BV7?f?"6??RF??RgFW'v&B??BF?????F?W"66?V?F?7B??F???R?f??6?W"??&?2?F?v?fR&?W7F?W?( ?2( ?W&R?.( ?F?P???RvR???r?B'?F?F??( ????vV??( ?gV?f7G3?v?F??WB???vV??&????v?6?FVF?&Vv??2F??67W"v?F????F?&VR??WFW2?g&VR?F?f??rv?&?B6????????fW'&W&2???G2F?P?v?&?B&V6?&Bf?"???F??r??2'&VF?????WFW2?S?6V6??G2???&RF?W???&P?&?vFV???'??VB???6W?&?W7F?W??&F?6?F????W"????FV????6?V?6??W&?FvRf?V?FF????#R??6???W???FR???6W?&?W7F?W??BF?RF?66?fW'??b???vV????6?W76???DS??F6?V?????R?#2??7&?wF?W"???r?66?V?F?7G2?bF?R??GW7G&??&Wf??WF??????6W?&?6????W2vGB???6W?&?W7F?W???B?V?'?6fV?F?6???Wr??&??GVf?W"VF?F???2???b??v?&'2?g&?????6W?&?W7F?W???Wr??&??F?V&?VF????r?'v????V?F??F?R&???6R?b6?V?7G'???Wr??&??f????r&W72???b??'F??wF?????W2?6??'B6?W'6R??6?V?7G'???Wr??&??F?fW"??????66??f?V?B?&?&W'B?F?RV??v?FV??V?B?b??6W?&?W7F?W??V??fW'6?G?&??V??7??f??7FFRV??fW'6?G?&W72???r?