Activity No.

7
THE BUNSEN BURNER

The Bunsen Burner or some modification of it is used for most laboratory heating. It is a device constructed so
that a gaseous fuel and air are mixed and then burned at the top of a vertical column. By adjusting the amounts of air and
gas admitted, one can control the nature and temperature of the flame.

Purpose: To learn the construction and functions of the different parts of the Bunsen burner as well as its proper
manipulation.

Apparatus, Chemicals and Other Materials:

Bunsen Burner Rag Evaporating dish Tongs
Matches 10-cm glass tubing Carbon (charcoal)
5”x5” thick cardboard/used folder

Procedure:

A. Construction and functions of the burner

1. Examine the burner in detail. Identify and give the functions of the following parts: base, gas inlet, gas control,
pin hole, air holes, and barrel.

2. Disassemble the burner and clean thoroughly with a rag. Check the pinhole if it
is unclogged. Reassemble the parts.

B. How to operate the burner

1. Check the gas tap for possible clogging.

2. Connect the rubber tubing to the gas tap. The burner should be positioned away from the gas tap.

3. Close the gas control and air holes completely, then open the gas tap

4. To light the burner, bring a lighted matchstick to the top of the burner and gradually turn the gas control until
you get a flame about 6-7 cm high.

5. Adjust the air holes until you get a quiet blue flame. This is a non-luminous flame. If the flame “strikes back”
and burn at the base of the burner, immediately turn off the gas tap and let the burner cool before lighting it again.
Decrease the amount of air admitted to the burner and adjust the flow of gas to prevent striking back of the flame.

C. Experiments with the flame

1. With a pair of tongs, bring the bottom of a clean and dry evaporating dish to the top of this flame. Observe for
a few seconds. Do you observe anything deposited? Set aside for step 3.
2. Close the air holes and describe the appearance (color and height of different zones) of the flame. This is a
luminous flame. For a better effect, grip the air holes with a rag.
3. Bring the bottom of the evaporating dish from step 1 to the top of this flame for a few seconds using the tong.
Record any changes.
4. Open the air holes and adjust the amount of air and gas to get a quiet blue flame (non- luminous flame).
5. Insert a wet piece of 5” x 6” thick cardboard or a used folder vertically through the center of the flame, letting
the edge rest on top of the barrel until the flame has been outlined on the cardboard. Avoid burning! Sketch
the structure of the flame and indicate the relative intensities of the different zones as observed on the
cardboard.
6. With a tong, insert the end of a 10-cm glass tubing to the base of the flame at a 45° angle. Bring a lighted
matchstick to the other end of the glass tubing. Do the same with the outer cone of the flame.
7. Get a small amount of charcoal. Sprinkle the charcoal over the flame. Observe.
8. Put off the flame. ALWAYS EXTINGUISH THE FLAME WHEN NOT IN USE. Remember that a box of
matchsticks is very much cheaper than the gas burned per second.
 THE BUNSEN BURNER

Name: Daryl Joy Francisco Score:

DATA AND RESULTS

A. Identification of the parts of the Bunsen burner.

Air Holes
Barrel

Pin Hole
Gas Inlet

Needle Valve
Base

Air and fuel mix inside the Barrel .

The entrance of gas fuel can be minimized using the Gas Inlet .
Base supports the whole burner to stand.
To allow the entrance of air from the atmosphere, the Air Hole must be opened.
Fuel from the main supply enters the burner through the Jet .

B. Bunsen burner operation

What is the most dominant color of a non- luminous flame? Blue

C. Flame experimentation
a) What is the most dominant color of a luminous flame? Orange
b) Is there anything deposited on the bottom of the evaporating dish when placed over a luminous flame? (Yes or
No)
If yes, what is the color of this substance? Blue
What is the chemical name for this substance? O2
What has disappeared when you open the air holes? Flame
 c) As outlined on the wet cardboard, sketch and label the parts of the flame. Indicate the hottest zone, inner and
outer cones:

d) Is flame seen at the other end of glass tubing when inserted into
the (Yes or No)
inner cone? outer cone?
If yes, what is the color of this flame? Yellow
e) What does this experiment with the glass tubing show?

Many glass tubing Experiment can be used right away for example for pneumatic conveying systems, lighting,
photobioreactors or as an architectural item. However, modifying of glass tubing is quite common and indispensable for
applications like laboratory glass, pharma packaging, and diode encapsulants.

f) The color of the flame with the charcoal. Black

QUESTIONS: (To be answered before coming to the lab class)

A. Give all the products of incomplete combustion/burning of laboratory fuel
(mostly propane, C3H8).
Propane+ Oxygen Carbon Dioxide+ Carbon Monoxide+ Carbon+ Water

B. Write a balanced equation for the complete combustion of propane.

C3H8(g)+5O2(g)  3CO2(g)+4H2O(g)

Inner
Gas Inlet
Cone