CABALLERO, MARY GRACE S.

Date Performed: August 23, 2018

BSN I–D Date Submitted: August 28, 2018

EXPERIMENT NO. 1
THE GAS BURNER

I. INTRODUCTION

The gas burner is the most frequently used apparatus in the laboratory as a source of
heat mainly because of its hot, steady, and smokeless flame. The burner is a short, vertical
tube of metal connected to a gas source and perforated at the bottom to admit air. Its air flow
is controlled by an adjustable collar on the tube.

The objective of this study is to study the parts of the gas burner, as well as the
functions of each part and how to operate and manipulate the burner.

II. FLOWCHART

1. Lighting the Gas Burner

2. Gas and Air Control

3. Temperature of the Flame

4. Flame Structure
III. DATA AND RESULTS

Table 1. Gas Burner Flame Observations

Observations

The outer cone was yellow;

Closed Air Hole The outer lining was violet;
and the inner cone near the barrel was blue.

The outer cone near the tip was red;

Open Air Hole The outer lining was violet;
and the whole inner cone and center of the flame was
blue.

Table 2. Boiling Time of H2O Using Yellow and Blue Flame

Boiling Time

Yellow Flame 25 sec.

Blue Flame 10.43 sec.

Table 3. Temperature of the Different Parts of the Blue Flame

Color Temperature

1. just above the barrel no color change -

2. at the middle of the inner
red 700 °C
cone

3. at the tip of the inner cone orange 1100 °C

4. at the middle of the tip of

orange 1100 °C
inner cone and outer cone

5. at the tip of the outer cone Faint red 500 °C

Figure 1. Flame Structure

IV. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Lighting the Gas Burner

Based on Table 1, after lighting the gas burner with closed and open air holes,
variations between them were observed. When the air holes were closed, the flame’s outer
cone was yellow in color, the outer lining was violet, and the inner cone near the barrel was
blue. On the other hand, when air holes were opened, the outer cone near the tip turned red,
the outer lining to violet, and the whole inner cone and center of the flame became blue.

Gas and Air Control

As can be seen on Table 2, 5 ml water was poured inside a test tube and were boiled
separately – one in yellow flame and one in blue flame. The boiling time was then recorded.
When under the yellow flame, the 5 ml water started boiling after 25 seconds while under the
blue flame, the water started to boil after only 10.43 seconds.
According to BBC (2014), “when the air hole is open, air is drawn into the chimney,
where it mixes with the natural gas”. This phenomenon “ensures complete combustion” which
produces a very hot, blue flame. The opposite can be applied to the yellow flame which is a
result of incomplete combustion, thus transferring less hat energy. Based from the results, it
can be concluded that the blue flame is hotter than the yellow flame.

Temperature of the Flame

It is shown in Table 3 that when the nichrome wire was held just above the barrel, no
color change could be observed. When put at the middle of the inner cone, the wire turned
red which indicates that the flame’s approximate temperature based on the color of the wire
was 700 °C. When the wire was held at the tip of the inner cone, it turned orange which
indicates that the temperature in that area is about 1100 °C. The same is true when the wire
is held at the middle of the tip of inner cone and outer cone. However, when the nichrome wire
was put at the tip of the outer cone, it turned faint red which indicates that it was approximately
500 °C in temperature.
Based from these findings, it can be concluded that the tip of the inner blue cone and
the area just above it are the hottest portions of the flame.

Temperature of the Flame

When the wet illustration board was held vertically in the blue flame, a charring occurs
which shows the structure and even the coolest and hottest portion of the flame. As can be
seen on Figure 1, the part where it was charred is the hottest portion of the flame followed by
the dry portion. The part where it was still slightly wet shows that it was the portion of the flame
that was cooler than the former two mentioned portions. The wet part, on the other hand, is
where it was untouched by the flame. These findings support the conclusions made on the
last experiment that was done to observe the temperature of the different parts of the flame.

V. REFERENCES

BBC. (2014). Retrieved from Using carbon fuels:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway_pre_2011/carbon_c
hem/7_using_carbon_fuels1.shtml
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DOCUMENTATION