A Bunsen burner is a laboratory device used to heat substances for various experiments. It produces a single open flame by burning gas, and is commonly used in schools during lab experiments. The burner consists of a flat base with a straight tube extending vertically, known as the barrel or chimney, and is normally fitted with a hose barb at the base of the chimney to allow rubber tubing to supply the gas from a gas nozzle on the laboratory bench. The other critical component of a Bunsen burner is the air hole, which allows pre-mixing of air and gas before combustion occurs at the top of the chimney. The hottest part of the Bunsen flame, which is found just above the tip of the primary flame, reaches about 1,500 °C (2,700 °F) .
Bunsen burners are used in science for a variety of purposes, including:
- Providing heat to a chemical reaction or to desiccate a reaction by removing water content from it.
- Sterilizing equipment in microbiology laboratories and producing an updraft that forces airborne contaminants away from the working area.
- Heating substances for various experiments.
