How Goethe lit a fire, and the first fuel cell

Fire without matches

How can you light a fire without matches? With chemistry and catalysis! Even before the invention of the match, chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner and the celebrated poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lit fires using catalysis. This was the basis for the first fuel cell, 16 years later.

We will show you how to replicate a Döbereiner lighter and explain how it works. Please also take a look at a replica of the experiment from 1839 that led to the first fuel cells!

Location:
House of Chemistry (Haus der Chemie), foyer

Time:
17:00 – midnight

Duration: 
15 min, on-going

Children:
Suitable for children 6 years old and older, but not specifically geared towards children 

Type of event:
Demonstration, experiment

Accessibility:
Wheelchair accessible