Putnam County R-I Schools Logo

Physical Science Students Ignite Hydrogen

December 07, 2022

 Launch the media gallery 1 player

Students in Mr. Watt's Physical Science classes were able to enjoy the effects of igniting hydrogen on Tuesday. They have been studying the chemical properties of different families of elements, and are preparing for a comprehensive semester final. Mr. Watt added hydrochloric acid to zinc and hydrogen gas was collected in an inverted Pringle's can. Since hydrogen has a low density, it rose to the "top" of the can, which had a hole in it. Once a student removed the tape that covered the hole, another student ignited the hydrogen as it escaped the can. As you can see in the videos, it produces an exciting result when the can takes off like a rocket!