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Acetylene Headlights

Why Acetylene?

Chemical Properties:

* Acetylene is extremely flammable. When burned, it gives off an incredible amount of energy.

The triple bond between the two carbon atoms is storing that energy. When it breaks, that

energy is released as heat and light (exothermic reaction):

On the Car

(Indian Institue of Welding - Mumbai, n.d)

(Airgas, 2013)

O

* High flame temperature (over 3000 C or 5400 F) & bright light during combustion

(BBC News, 2011)

Most cars utilized this carbide/water reaction in one of two ways:

1) Drop calcium carbide powder into a

canister of water

2) Drip water into a canister of calcium

carbide.

In using either method, the acetylene produced from the reaction was channeled to the headlight with a hose. The flammable gas was then utilized to light the road ahead.

(Cavette, n.d.)

Inside this black cylinder

is where the water and

calcium carbide react

(Brown, 2011)

Can you find the canister housing the water/carbide reaction?

This is a 1913 Ford Model T Touring that is on display in the AACA Museum

In the early 1900's, companies began promoting pressurized acetylene rather than the water drip canister. The positive was that pressurized acetylene is much less messy. The negative is that carrying a tank of pressurized, explosive gas can be dangerous!

1910 Otto Roadster on display in the AACA Museum

Here is the acetylene tank and the hoses that connect it to the headlights

Check Out This Acetylene Reaction:

How is Acetylene Produced?

Early Headlights

There are many ways to produce acetylene gas, but one of the most cost effective methods is to combine water and calcium carbide:

Acetylene + Calcium Hydroxide

Calcium Carbide + Water

No! We were missing a coefficient in front of the water

Double check... is this reaction balanced?

Can you imagine driving a car without headlights? In fact, many early cars didn't have headlights! And the ones that did, didn't have very good headlights. These early headlights were often fueled by acetylene gas:

Calcium carbide is dropped into water. The produced

acetylene is captured in the flask, and then

ignited with a flaming splint.

(DoSiDo, 2007)

(Townsend, 2014)

(Hellbus, n.d.)

(Wikimedia Commons, 2012)

Lewis Dot Structure

Ball & Stick Model

(Mills, 2009)

(Mills, n.d.)

Space Filling Model

Other Uses of Acetylene:

(Simmons Pioneer, n.d.)

(Direct Industry, n.d.)

Machine Oxy-Acetylene Cutting Torch

Mining Lamp

(Tractor Supply Co., n.d.)

Oxy-Acetylene Welding Rig

CaC + H O

C H + Ca(OH)

2

C H

2

H O

2

Energy

CO

4

O

5

2

H C C H

O C O

CaC + 2 H O

C H + Ca(OH)

2

CaC + 2 H O

C H + Ca(OH)

2

H C C H

H C C H

O O

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