What is Döbereiner's lamp?
Q: What is Döbereiner's lamp?
A: Döbereiner's lamp is one of the first lighters developed in 1823 by German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner. It was produced until around 1880 and can still be seen at the Heidelberg Castle and Deutsches Museum (German Museum).
Q: How does it work?
A: The lighter works based on a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. In the glass cylinder, sulfuric acid is stored while zinc is stored in an open bottle at the top with a valve. When the lever is opened, sulfuric acid flows into the bottle which produces hydrogen gas that bypasses platinum before reacting with oxygen from the air to produce water as an exothermic reaction. To stop this reaction, the lever needs to be released so that hydrogen can no longer go out of the bottle and pushes back sulfuric acid into its original container.
Q: Who invented Döbereiner's lamp?
A: Döbereiner's lamp was invented by German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner in 1823.
Q: Where can you find original versions of this lighter?
A: Original versions of this lighter can be found at Heidelberg Castle and Deutsches Museum (German Museum).
Q: What elements are used for this chemical reaction?
A: This chemical reaction uses hydrogen, oxygen, zinc, sulfuric acid, platinum, and water as elements.
Q: What happens when you release the lever?
A: When you release the lever, it stops any further reactions from occurring because hydrogen can no longer go out of the bottle which then pushes back sulfuric acid into its original container.
