Joseph-Louis Proust

Joseph-Louis Proust was a French chemist known for discovering the Law of Definite Composition, which states that a chemical compound has a fixed ratio of elements by mass regardless of how it was made. For example, water always contains about 8 grams of oxygen for every 1 gram of hydrogen. This discovery helped chemists understand that elements combine in specific proportions, laying the groundwork for modern chemical formulas and the study of chemical compounds. Proust's work was fundamental in advancing the understanding of chemical composition and the nature of compounds.