How did Alessandro Volta discover methane gas?
1 Answer
Dec 17, 2015
Volta, in 1776, was on a lake near the reeds when he poked the mud-covered bottom with a stick and discovered many gaseous bubbles rising to the surface.
He captured some of the gas and then discovered its flammability (the property that it burns easily) by isolating the gas and then igniting it with a spark in a closed vessel.
The discovery of methane led to a cheaper and more efficient way to make fuels.