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What danger did Sir Humphry Davy face while experimenting with water gas?
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Sir Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy, detail of an oil painting after Sir Thomas Lawrence; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
While experimenting with water gas, Sir Humphry Davy nearly lost his life due to the toxic nature of the substance. Water gas is a flammable mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the latter of which is highly poisonous. Davy’s experience highlights the significant physical risks he took during his early career while investigating the properties of various gases at the Pneumatic Institution.12