Testing for Hydrogen Gas
How to test for hydrogen
- The test for hydrogen consists of holding a lit splint held at the open end of a test tube of gas
- If the gas is hydrogen it burns with a loud “squeaky pop” which is the result of the rapid combustion of hydrogen with oxygen to produce water
- Be sure not to insert the splint right into the tube, just at the mouth, as the gas needs air to burn
Diagram to show the squeaky pop test
A positive result gives a squeaky pop sound
Exam Tip
It is easy to confuse the tests for hydrogen and oxygen.
Try to remember that a ligHted splint has an H for Hydrogen, while a glOwing splint has an O for Oxygen.
