Definition

1. Noun:
   • A laboratory gas burner: A "bunsen burner" is a common piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame. It is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion. Its key feature is an adjustable air valve at its base that allows the user to regulate the mixture of gas and air, which controls the flame's temperature and character (producing either a clean, hot blue flame or a cooler, sooty yellow flame).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The chemist adjusted the air valve on the bunsen burner to create a hotter, blue flame.
  • Always light the bunsen burner with the air hole partially closed to prevent a flashback.
  • For this experiment, you will need to heat the solution gently using a bunsen burner.

Advanced Usage

• "Bunsen burner flame": Refers specifically to the flame produced by the burner, often described by its properties (e.g., luminous/yellow or non-luminous/blue).
  • A blue bunsen burner flame is much hotter than a yellow one.

Variants and Related Words

• Bunsen (noun, informal): A common shortened, informal reference to a bunsen burner.
  • Hand me that Bunsen, please.
• Meker burner (noun): A related laboratory burner that produces multiple flame jets for broader, hotter heating.
• Tirrill burner (noun): A similar laboratory gas burner with a more precise needle valve for gas flow regulation.

Synonyms

• Laboratory burner: A general term for gas burners used in labs.
• Gas burner: A broader term for any device that burns gas to produce a flame.

Related Phrases and Idioms

(This term is a specific piece of equipment and is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions or phrasal verbs.)

Noun

1. a gas burner used in laboratories; has an air valve to regulate the mixture of gas and air