Antoine Lavoisier is often referred to as the "father of modern chemistry." He is renowned for his pioneering work in the late 18th century that laid the foundation for modern chemical science. Lavoisier established the law of conservation of mass, demonstrating that matter is neither created nor destroyed in chemical reactions. He also helped develop a systematic chemical nomenclature and contributed to the identification of oxygen and its role in combustion. His meticulous approach to experimentation and emphasis on quantitative analysis transformed chemistry from a qualitative practice into a rigorous scientific discipline.