In this experiment we will use a coil of copper wire. Construct a coiled copper wire as shown in Figure 2 by winding a 30 cm length of 20 gauge
copper around a glass stir rod or pencil. The coils should be close to one another...heat the coiled portion of the wire at the top of the flame's
inner cone until it glows brightly red. Remove the coil from the flame and quickly start to discharge the gas mixture at ‘point blank’ range to
the red hot copper (but not touching it). The coils will glow as the wire catalyzes the reaction. The heat given off from the reaction maintains the
copper at red heat. More than one attempt may be necessary before this works properly. |