The Bunsen Burner: Where did it come from? | Stuff of Genius
Nowadays Bunsen burners are an everyday laboratory device, but this wasn't always the case. Learn about the fascinating life of Robert Bunsen and the Bunsen burner in this episode.
Stuff of Genius tells the story behind everyday inventions. From the bikini to super wheat and everything in between. Viewers will learn the stories of unsung inventor heroes and their trials, tribulations and successes.
--
Behold… the Bunsen Burner.
But where did it come from?
Meet Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, born in Germany in 1811.
Robert Bunsen's childhood is a bit obscure but we know that he received his doctorate in Chemistry at the ripe old age of 19.
After graduation, Robert gave a lecture tour in Europe and extensively studied manufacturing, geology, and inorganic chemistry.
Throughout his lifetime Robert made hundreds of crucial scientific breakthroughs, involving everything from the efficient transportation of heat to the cure for arsenic poisoning.
However, his most famous invention is one of his minor innovations: the Bunsen burner.
Like most full-time geniuses, Robert suffered from an abundance of ideas and a scarcity of time.
Among all his inventions and discoveries, the one device named after Robert Bunsen is something he never actually built.
It was simply his idea to premix gas and air before igniting the mixture.
This process creates a higher burning temperature, and once [Peter DeSaga] had built it, the Bunsen burner became a fixture in laboratories across the world.
Watch video The Bunsen Burner: Where did it come from? | Stuff of Genius online without registration, duration hours minute second in high quality. This video was added by user HowStuffWorks 04 October 2014, don't forget to share it with your friends and acquaintances, it has been viewed on our site 101,716 once and liked it 230 people.