Lesson 2 of 5 · Lab Skills
Experiment⭐ 30 XPUsing a Bunsen Burner
Lab Skills.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
What You'll Learn
With the air hole closed a Bunsen gives a luminous yellow safety flame, visible and cool. Opening it gives a roaring blue flame that is hotter and much harder to see — which is exactly why you close the hole whenever the burner is not in use.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- Bunsen burner
- heatproof mat
- beaker
- thermometer
- tripod
- gauze
- stopwatch
Safety First
- Light the splint before turning on the gas, and close the air hole the moment you finish heating.
- Tie back long hair, tuck in loose sleeves, and never leave a lit burner unattended.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Light a Bunsen correctly, then compare the two flames by timing how long each takes to bring 100 cm³ of water to 40 °C. Record both times and the appearance of each flame.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2The safety flame is produced when the air hole is:
Where you see this in real life
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Ready?
Using a Bunsen Burner
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
Full screen — no distractions
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