Replicating the Fontana-Ingenhousz eudiometer : incorporating historical experiments in undergraduate chemistry education

In this article, we discuss the replication of a forgotten chemical instrument in the context of undergraduate chemistry education. Together with students, we have attempted to replicate an eighteenth century “eudiometrical” procedure. Eudiometry was the practice of measuring the “goodness” of the air by looking at the volume reduction of a sample of air when it reacts with specific substances. Our replication of a eudiometer can be seen as an example of what Hasok Chang calls “complementary experiments,” a specific type of historical experiments with several benefits for science education. We show how the replication work helped students develop their creative and critical thinking skills, and also facilitated NOS teaching. Moreover, we were able to use the replication work to teach the students contemporary experimental and analytical techniques. Based on our experience, we believe there are benefits to be found in teaching contemporary techniques in the context of complementary experimentation.