Sunday, April 4, 2010

March 31 – Bunsen Burner Day

Today is the day to celebrate the great Robert Wilhelm Eberhard – the inventor of the Bunsen Burner! He was a German chemist born on this day in 1811.

The Bunsen Burner itself is a very simple device, consisting of a long hollow tube. A combination of gas and air help to form the flame that powers the burner, making it very easy to control the amount of flame and heat by adjusting the mixture of the two compounds.

 I can respect that he invented the Bunsen burner, but I must say I am not a big fan. I do not like science – especially chemistry! In high school I opted for the less intimidating Chem Com – Chemistry in the Community…still hated it and didn’t do so hot. I have a real problem learning something if I don’t care about it. Anyways, I hope all you chemists out there are lighting your little Bunsen Burners, running experiments and celebrating today. Maybe you can cook a whole feast over the Bunsen Burner and then sit around and discuss the wonders of it, while looking at the different color flames…

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