Hydrogen Gas Demo

Aaron Keller, Chemistry Teacher, demonstrates the properties of hydrogen gas. The gas is generated using zinc and hydrochloric acid and collected by downward displacement of water. The gas will not support combustion and puts out a candle. But because it is burning at the mouth of the flask the candle can be re-lighted when removed from the flask. An engaging mishap enlivens the video.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• hydrogen
• explosion
• fire
• hydrochloric acid
• zinc
• education
• gas

[meatisdeliciouse]

What's before hydrogen? What makes hydrogen atoms? Is there any substance on the earth that are made of material smaller than a hydrogen attom?

[aaronakeller]

@meatisdeliciouse Hydrogen atoms are the simplest possible element. The most common kind of hydrogen atom has just one proton and one electron. There are no atoms with fewer than one proton! Hydrogen atoms are currently taken to be atoms that originated at the beginning of the universe. Nearly all other elements, and most atoms come from the creation of heavier elements in the cores of stars which fuse hydrogen nuclei together to make them.

[meatisdeliciouse]

@aaronakeller I see, is Beta and Alpha radiation classed as matter? Can you get radiation made out of single protons and neutrons?

[aaronakeller]

@meatisdeliciouse Beta radiation consists of electrons ejected at high speed from atomic nuclei that are unstable. That's ordinary matter but is not a chemical element. Alpha radiation consists of helium-4 nuclei ejected at high speed from an unstable nucleus. An alpha particle really is just the 2 protons and 2 neutrons in a He-4 nucleus: no electrons come with it. Neutron radiation can be produced under certain conditions. But none of this changes that Hydrogen is the lightest element.

[RandoMLifECreations]

You didn't explain the cause of the pop. So, what is the cause of the popping noise?

[aaronakeller]

I didn't explain it at the time because I wasn't sure about it. Now I think it happens because some of the hydrogen in the flask mixes with air at the mouth. When the flame comes near it causes a mini explosion of this mixture but since the rest of the hydrogen is not mixed with air the flames can't consume all of the hydrogen.

[reptile202]

@aaronakeller Is hot plasma was to pass through hydrogen fuel, what would be the results? An explosion?

[suryatma]

thanks

[beatriXkibo]

great video, prof.

[redsquirrelftw]

LOL someone farted at 1:10 or was that hydrogen displacement? :p