National Bunsen Burner Day

The Bunsen lamp is a commonly used device in the laboratory. It produces an open flame from the combustion of gas, used for heating or sterilization purposes. The Bunsen lamp was invented by Robert Wilhelm Bunsen. Bunsen is a German chemist and lecturer. He invented the Bunsen lamp while doing a study on the separation of chemicals. This type of lamp has a strong flame, does not glow and does not affect the colored flame emitted by the chemicals tested. Mechanic Peter Desaga of the University of Heidelberg built the first Bunsen lamp according to Bunsen's technical drawings in 1855. To honor the use of the Bunsen lamp, National Bunsen Burner Day is celebrated every year on the 31st March, to remember the history of the science and inventor behind this important tool. Bunsen Burner was found in every high school lab, this is an essential in professional labs, as well as a staple in science education.

It is also the day to honor German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen for his great inventions for human history. The holiday was chosen to be celebrated on the birthday of Robert Busen.

History of Bunsen Burner Day

The origin, history and founder of Bunsen Burner Day are still being sought. However, on Bunsen Burner day people search for information related to chemist Robert Bunen to better understand why there is a celebration to honor him.

Robert Bunsen was born in Germany in 1811. His father was the chief librarian and professor of modern philology at the University of Göttingen, where Bunsen then began a university degree at the age of 17. He showed an early innovation and in just two years he completed his PhD and was offered a job there.

Bunsen had a remarkable breakthrough at the age of 22 when he discovered the antidote to arsenic. But the invention for which he is best known to this day, the Bunsen incinerator, became the object of his pursuit in 1852 when he took a job at the University of Heidelberg, where he was promised a room. New experiments for his work and teaching.

The designers of the building intended to use the gas throughout for lighting as well as combustion in the laboratory. But due to the heat of the flame gas burners have problems, as well as their simplicity. So Bunsen himself was working on designing a way to make the gas burners more efficient for use in the lab while the builders had to work on Bunsen's new lab. A gas burner that could produce different types of flames depending on the airflow was developed by Bunsen himself. He was known that using Isaac Newton's principle of light refraction to create four flames of different colors and intensities together.

When the building opened in 1855, Bunsen had already created 50 of his burners, and in 1857 he published a description of them so his colleagues could apply the design. Despite its success, he never patented the idea, as he believed that science should be for everyone's benefit and not for anyone's profit. His designs are still used around the world today because those became increasingly popular and usually used in schools and professional laboratories, which is why we celebrate National Burner Day.

How to see National Bunsen Burner Day

Share your experiences from the lab or in a science classroom as a scientist using the Bunsen burner. Say thank you to your favorite science teacher or lab partner. If you like using the Bunsen burner and experiments using the Bunsen burner, you can also share your favorite experiments for your friends or classmates. Besides experiments, you can also view Bunsen Burner Day by learn more about Robert Bunsen, his career and life. Review the main types of flames produced by Bunsen burners and the meanings of their colors. What temperature does the Bunsen burner reach and how does this affect the experiment?

Use #NationalBunsenBurnerDay to post on social media.