Dalton’s Playhouse

In the late 18th century, Joseph Priestley, Antoine Lavoisier and Humphrey Davy performed
some critical experiments that helped John Dalton develop his theories on the atomic model of
matter. Little was known about matter or atoms in the late 1700’s. When Priestley began
working on his discoveries, oxygen was unknown. At the time the leading theory regarding
combustion postulated that a fire-like element called phlogiston was contained within the
combustible material and was released during combustion.

Watch this brief video: The Phlogiston Theory1

By 1774, Priestley had begun to experiment with a curious substance called the red calx of
mercury. This red powder seemed to contradict the phlogiston theory, because chemists could
turn it back into liquid mercury simply by heating it. No charcoal – no source of phlogiston –
was needed. This was theoretically impossible. The ever-curious Priestley wanted to know
how it could happen. So in August 1774, he obtained a sample of mercury calx and used a
burning lens to heat it with sunlight. What he found was a remarkable new gas (he called it
“dephlogisticated air”) that made candles burn brighter and longer than ordinary air. Two
months later, he shared his findings over dinner with Lavoisier in Paris.

Watch this video: Priestley's Discovery2

Visit this website: Dalton's Playhouse3

Click the "Next" button and then "Begin" to enter a simulation of Joseph Priestley's
laboratory.
Once in Priestley's lab, clicking the play button will allow you to start the heating of the red
calx. You will see the starting masses of the red calx, mercury and gas produced are recorded
(as well as the volume of the gas) and that as the reaction continues, the masses of the
amounts remaining and/or produced are also shown. You will need to pause the reaction to
record some of the information to complete the table below.
Mass of Calx Remaining 216.58 g 108.30 g 54.16 g 0g

Mass of Mercury Produced

Mass of Gas Produced

Volume of Gas Produced

1. What happened to the mass of the material in the flask as it was heated?
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https://vimeo.com/139353335
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https://vimeo.com/139353338
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https://www.visionlearning.com/library/animations/daltons_playhouse/
2. What did you note about the masses of the gas produced and the mercury metal left in the
flask?

3. State the relationship between the volume of gas produced and the mass of the calx that
was heated.

Watch this video: Some Kind of Air4 , then return to: Dalton's Playhouse
When you answer the three questions below the first simulation, click "continue to next
section" and then click "Next" to enter a simulation of Antoine Lavoisier's laboratory.

Once in Lavoisier's lab, clicking the play button will allow you to start the combustion of the
phlogiston. You will see the starting masses and volumes of the oxygen, phlogiston
(hydrogen) and water vapor are recorded and that as the reaction continues, the masses and
volumes of the amounts remaining and/or produced are also shown. You will need to pause
the reaction to record some of the information to complete the table below.

Before 1.32 g phlogiston 0.63 g phlogiston 0.00 g phlogiston

Reaction remaining remaining remaining

Mass oxygen used

Mass phlogiston used

Mass of product

Volume oxygen used

Volume phlogiston used

Volume of product
1. With relation to the volumes of the gases, in what specific proportion did oxygen react
with phlogiston?

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https://vimeo.com/139728102
2. How did the mass of the gas in all three vessels before burning compare to the total mass
after burning?

The video: An Intellectual Explosion5 provides a bit of background on Humphrey Davy, the
great English chemist. Davy and his assistant Michael Faraday traveled to Florence, where
they used the burning glass of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in a series of experiments to ignite
diamonds and charcoal to show that diamonds were composed of pure carbon.

Return to: Dalton's Playhouse

again and when you answer the three questions below the simulation, click "continue to next
section" and then click "Next" to enter a simulation of Davy's experiments with diamonds.

Once in Davy's lab, clicking the play button will allow you to start the combustion of the
diamond. You will see the starting mass of the diamond and the masses and volumes of the
oxygen, and gas produced are recorded and that as the reaction continues, the masses and
volumes of the amounts remaining and/or produced are also shown. You will need to pause
the reaction to record some of the information to complete the table below.

Before 7.88 g carbon 3.75 g carbon 0.00 g carbon

Reaction remaining remaining remaining

Mass of diamond used

Mass of oxygen used

Mass of product formed

Volume of oxygen used

Volume of product
formed

1. If no oxygen were present, what do you think would happen to the diamond?

Concepts
1. Which of the core concepts below most logically follows from the experiments you
conducted in Priestley’s lab?
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https://vimeo.com/136538699
 a. Red calx turns into mercury when it is heated.
b. Some substances are composed of precise amounts of two or more other substances.
c. All substances can be broken down into simpler materials by heating them.

2. Which of the core concepts below most logically follows from the experiments you
conducted in Lavoisier’s lab?
a. The total mass of the products in a chemical reaction is greater than the mass of the
reactants.
b. The total mass of the products in a chemical reaction is less than the mass of the
reactants.
c. The total mass of the products in a chemical reaction is exactly equal to the mass of the
reactants.

3. Which of the core concepts below most logically follows from the experiments you
conducted with diamonds?
a. Elements combine in specific, defined ratios in chemical reactions.
b. Carbon reacts differently depending whether it is in the diamond or charcoal form.
c. Diamond can form carbon dioxide when neither air nor oxygen is present.