Who is known as the founder of modern chemistry?

Antoine Lavoisier is widely recognized as the founder of modern chemistry due to his pivotal role in establishing the science as a distinct field. His work in the late 18th century fundamentally transformed how chemical reactions were understood. Lavoisier is celebrated for several key contributions, such as the introduction of the law of conservation of mass, which posits that in a closed system, matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. He also helped establish a systematic chemical nomenclature, which provided a clear and organized way to name chemical substances. Additionally, Lavoisier's experiments debunked the phlogiston theory, leading to a more accurate understanding of combustion and respiration.

While Robert Boyle made significant strides in early chemistry and is often associated with the scientific method and gas laws, Lavoisier's methodologies and principles laid the foundation for modern chemical practice. Dmitri Mendeleev contributed by organizing the periodic table, and John Dalton's atomic theory played an essential role in the development of chemical science, but it was Lavoisier who firmly distinguished chemistry from alchemy and other pre-scientific traditions. Thus, his influence marks the true beginning of modern chemistry as we understand it today.