How did Antoine Lavoisier’s ideas differ from Georg Ernst Stahl’s phlogiston theory?

Antoine Lavoisier’s work fundamentally transformed chemistry by replacing the phlogiston theory, proposed by Georg Ernst Stahl, with an experimentally grounded theory of oxygen.123

The primary differences between their ideas include:

• Nature of Combustion: Stahl hypothesized that combustion, respiration, and calcination involved the release of a "fiery substance" called phlogiston. Lavoisier, conversely, demonstrated that these processes involve the consumption of oxygen.143
• Weight Changes: A major flaw in the phlogiston theory was its inability to explain why metallic calxes (oxides) weighed more than the original metal, as phlogiston was often viewed as an immaterial principle. Lavoisier used precise measurements to prove that weight gains during calcination were due to the fixation of air (oxygen), not the loss of a substance.43
• Experimental Foundation: While Stahl’s theory relied on a hypothetical principle that could not be isolated or weighed, Lavoisier insisted on an experimentally sound approach. By isolating oxygen, Lavoisier provided a measurable, material basis for chemical reactions that phlogiston theory could not account for.143