Atmospheric sciences offered the “breakthrough” data that was needed to determine how atoms work.  Gases proved the easiest to isolate and observe. In the 1700’s experiments by English chemists Joseph Black (1728-1799) (discovered carbon dioxide), Henry Cavendish (1731-1810)  (discovered hydrogen), and Joseph Priestly (1733-1804)(discovered oxygen) isolated several gases and showed how they could be produced from other substances. All of these early chemists began to scientifically discuss the substances they were isolating.  Discussions lead to new experiments, which guided the way to further discoveries.

Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier

Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier (1743-1794) was a French nobleman who wrote the first extensive list of elements.  He had identified 23 elements before his untimely death.  His experiments with oxygen allowed him to isolate the gas, which started him to wonder about the nature of the particles he was collecting.  He was prominent not only in chemistry but in finance, biology and economics.  Unfortunately, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was beheaded during the French Revolution. 

John Dalton, (1766–1844) a British teacher and scientist wrote, A New System of Chemical Philosophy in 1808 which described “tiny” particles as the basis of all matter.  He revived the concept of atoms and proposed an atomic theory based on facts and experimental observations in meteorology.   His work in meteorology started him to question about gases and water and how they combined.