7. Bunsen Burner

General Remarks

The Bunsen burner consists of a barrel of an air-regulator (a), a gas-regulator (b), and a base (c).

Insufficient air supply causes a yellow flame of incomplete combustion. The experimental apparatus gets covered with soot if it is heated with a yellow flame. In extreme cases, carbon monoxide poisoning might occur.
Reduce the air first and reduce the gas next. The reversed operation might cause a backfire in the barrel.
If a backfire occurs, immediately turn off the main gas cock without touching the barrel and cool the burner completely with a wet cloth.

Loose the air-regulator by holding the gas-regulator and base to remove the barrel.
Remove the gas-regulator by holding the base.

The hole at the upper end of the gas-regulator is closed with the needle of the base when you tighten the gas-regulator screw. The flow of the gas is adjusted by screwing/unscrewing the gas-regulator.
The hole at the lower end of the barrel is closed with the upper face of the gas-regulator when you tighten the air-regulator screw. The flow of the air is adjusted by screwing/unscrewing the air-regulator.

Check the air- and gas-regulators are tightened. Open the main gas cock.
Bring a flame of a lighter to the mouth of the burner and loosen the gas-regulator only. You should get a yellow flame of gas.
Loosen the air-regulator only. The flame color should change from yellow to dark blue.
By using the air- and gas-regulators, adjust the height of the inner cone of the flame to approximately a half of that of the outer cone. This ratio indicates the best combustion.