jan 1, 1650 - Robert Boyle

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Boyle was more focused on trying to improve upon the theory of the "four elements". Boyle published a book called "The Skeptical Chemist" and in the book he defined elements as "certain simple unmingled bodies". Boyle's research also led the helping with the understanding of element substances and the compound elements. Boyle also made make a prediction that air was not a single substance but a mixture of substances to make up one element. Boyle was well known for his discoveries and he also was well known for the experiment of pouring mercury into one end of a j shaped test tube and trapping the gas pushed up. Boyle's suggestion of having compound elements helped many chemists to come because then they wouldn't keep thinking they were finding different elements all the time and they thought they were finding more than one element in a substance.

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