Air and Gases Section

Air and Gases: Discovering Methane

This fascinating section of the museum showcases the apparatuses used in late 18th-century gas research. While globally famous for the battery, Alessandro Volta was also a pioneer in atmospheric chemistry. He was the first scientist to isolate and study methane, and he designed the eudiometer—a groundbreaking tool used to analyze the combustion of various gases.

The Voltaic Eudiometer

Building upon the ideas of earlier scientists, Volta observed that the volume of air decreased during the combustion of flammable gases. Utilizing his expertise with electric sparks, he created a new type of eudiometer. The device consisted of a glass cylinder inverted in a basin of water; inside, two metal points faced each other, ready to trigger a reaction with a precise electrical discharge. This tool allowed for the first accurate measurements of how gases interact and burn.

Innovations and the "Electric Pistol"

Once he mastered the ignition of gas mixtures via electric sparks, Volta envisioned practical (and sometimes spectacular) applications for his discovery. Among the most original is the electric pistol—a remote-operated device that used the detonation of a gas mixture to fire a projectile. This was more than a curiosity; it was an early experiment in controlled combustion.
Another ingenious application on display is the combustible gas lamp. This device functioned like a "water hourglass": as water flowed from an upper chamber into a lower one containing gas, the pressure forced the gas out through a nozzle. A strategically placed spark would then ignite the gas, providing a steady, man-made flame. These inventions highlight Volta’s incredible ability to turn abstract science into functional technology.