invented the Bunsen burner in the
mid-19th century as a means to an
end. His work focused on emission
spectra, which is the bright light
produced by different elements when
they are heated in a fl ame. To carry out
this experiment he required a hot, clean
fl ame, which gave him the idea for the
Bunsen burner. A modern Bunsen
burner consists of a straight metal
tube, measuring about 13 centimetres
(fi ve inches) long, attached to a base
stand. A thin rubber tube known as a
gas hose connects to the bottom and
supplies gas to the Bunsen. The metal
collar works to adjust the amount of air
that enters the tube by altering the size
of the air hole at the base. By allowing
oxygen to mix with the gas, a hotter
and more complete reaction occurs,
causing a very hot, blue fl ame to be
produced. It still has an abundance of
laboratory applications today, including
sterilisation and fi xing cells to
microscope slides.
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