General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

GLASS (PYREX) TUBING/ SODIUM CHLORIDE (SALT) WINDOWS/ COPPER TUBING/ PLATINUM ELECTRODE MATERIAL/ ASBESTOS INSULATION

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

80.0 cm

Width

12.0 cm

Height

22.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Chemistry

Category

Test-measurement equipment

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

University

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

C.1956-1958

Canada

This custom-made apparatus was used by Polanyi graduate student J.K. Cashion at the University of Toronto. The experiments performed with it were the forerunners of those that led to the award of the 1986 Nobel Prize for chemistry to Canadian scientist John Polanyi.

Function

Apparatus in which hydrogen atoms were mixed with fluorine & chlorine molecules in order to record the infrared spectrum resulting from the reaction. The infrared emissions were recorded by means of a spectrometer. This equipment was used in early exploratory work on the feasibility of this approach.

Technical

Results of these experiments led Polanyi to believe it was possible to obtain experimental determinations of partitioning of reaction energy into product kinetic energy by detailed analysis of infrared emission spectra. This was only first step & many problems remained but these experiments led directly to the prediction & subsequent construction of 1st chemical laser.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

NONE

Missing

THE OPTICS USED TO FOSCUS THE INFRARED INTO THE SPECTROMETER ARE MISSING.

Finish

COLOURLESS, TRANSPARENT HANDBLOWN GLASS

Decoration

NONE