how can you show that oxygen is only one fifth of the components of the air???
Aim of the experiment - To show that oxygen occupies one-fifth of the air by volume
Materials required - candle, trough, water, glass tumbler
Procedure -
Inference -
The candle burnt till oxygen was present, Once the oxygen inside the tumbler was used up, it stopped burning. The air was devoid of oxygen inside the tumbler and as such the water from the trough moved up the tumbler and occupied its place, Since the candle was extinguished after about one-fifth of the air being used up, we know the gas used up was oxygen as it is the only gas in air which supports combustion. Thus, it is proved that oxygen occupies about one-fifth of the air by volume.
Materials required - candle, trough, water, glass tumbler
Procedure -
- Fill the trough with water.
- Take a lighted candle and place it carefully at the centre of the trough.
- Now take a glass tumbler and use a marker pen to mark five equal portions on the tumbler.
- Invert this tumbler over the burning candle.
- The candle burns for some time and is then extinguished.
- The water rises from the edge of the inverted tumbler to occupy about one-fifth of it.
Inference -
The candle burnt till oxygen was present, Once the oxygen inside the tumbler was used up, it stopped burning. The air was devoid of oxygen inside the tumbler and as such the water from the trough moved up the tumbler and occupied its place, Since the candle was extinguished after about one-fifth of the air being used up, we know the gas used up was oxygen as it is the only gas in air which supports combustion. Thus, it is proved that oxygen occupies about one-fifth of the air by volume.