PROJECT TITLE:

Formation of Oxygen

Aim:

To obtain oxygen by Priestley's method

Materials Required:

Procedure:

Place some red mercuric oxide in a small test tube and heat for several minutes. Hold a glowing splint at the mouth of the tube. Note what happens to the splint and watch the sides of the test tube.

Observation:

You will notice that the glowing splint is relighted and tiny grey beads are produced on the sides of the test tube.

Inference:

The gas that relights a glowing splint is the same gas obtained by Priestley when he heated red oxide of mercury. It is oxygen. The grey beads are beads of mercury.