- #1
mishima
- 570
- 36
Hi, I'm a high school chemistry teacher trying to develop a lab experience demonstrating combustion analysis. This is usually something we go through theoretically during discussion of percent composition and empirical formula. I'd like to actually perform one.
I was wondering if this could be done with a simple butane torch, or even a simple bic lighter?
I would setup the glassware to collect the vapors of the flame as follow:
--Open flame leading to long flute
--Flute going into 2-hole rubber bung in 150 mL erlynmeyer flask partially filled with calcium chloride (water absorber)
--Intake goes all the way to the bottom, submerged in the absorber
--Outlet runs to 2-hole rubber bung in second 150 mL erlynmeyer partially filled with sodium hydroxide (CO2 absorber)
--Again intake goes all the way to the bottom, submerged
--Outlet goes to vacuum
I've only ever seen this in textbook pictures and so am not really aware of any practical considerations here, especially the quantities of the absorbers required.
I was wondering if this could be done with a simple butane torch, or even a simple bic lighter?
I would setup the glassware to collect the vapors of the flame as follow:
--Open flame leading to long flute
--Flute going into 2-hole rubber bung in 150 mL erlynmeyer flask partially filled with calcium chloride (water absorber)
--Intake goes all the way to the bottom, submerged in the absorber
--Outlet runs to 2-hole rubber bung in second 150 mL erlynmeyer partially filled with sodium hydroxide (CO2 absorber)
--Again intake goes all the way to the bottom, submerged
--Outlet goes to vacuum
I've only ever seen this in textbook pictures and so am not really aware of any practical considerations here, especially the quantities of the absorbers required.