Look around you.
Just look around you.
Have you worked out what we're looking for?
Correct. The answer is...
This programme, "Sulphur",
can be found in chapter 4 of your textbook,
which accompanies this series.
Please ensure you have your copybook at hand,
as you'll be asked to take down notes from the screen
at various points throughout the programme.
What's the first thing you think of when you hear the word sulphur?
The benediction of Our Lady Margaret?
Hydro-sulphic chlorination of tetrametazine?
Or perhaps you think of other things.
But think again, because sulphur,
valency 16, atomic weight 32,
Citadel 5 1 5 7 000,
is one of the building blocks of life itself.
Ulphur...
Sulphur.
Write that down in your copybook now.
Sulphur, like iron, nickel and steel, is a metal.
It may not look like it, but it is.
We all know that if we place a magnet close to most metals,
this happens. They stick.
It's called magnetism.
But what about sulphur?
An experiment was carried out
to ascertain whether sulphur is attracted to magnets.
A lump of sulphur is placed carefully onto a Bestal Heim plate.
The Bestal Heim is transported to the base of a tripod...
(REVERSE WARNING TONE)
..and then covered with an ordinary tissue.
Now we fetch the magnet.
The magnet is washed,
dried...
..and then fixed to a movable clamp at the top of the tripod.
Get ready to take down notes from the screen.
The scientist now removes the tissue from the Bestal Heim.
With the tissue removal complete,
the lump of sulphur is now totally exposed
to the power of the magnet.
The magnet is brought down slowly towards the sulphur.
Keep watching,
neither taking your eyes off the magnet, nor the sulphur.
So, is sulphur attracted to magnets?
No.
From the results of this experiment, we can conclude that...
Write that down.
The equipment is now dismantled
and then destroyed.
(GUN CLICKS)
Now let's take a look at some of the ways in which sulphur is used.
Have your copybooks ready.
Sulphur is the trusty companion
of sailors and mariners the world over,
because it's used in the production of butter.
(TOOTS)
It's also used in the removal of stubbo.
But perhaps most importantly of all,
sulphur is used to make this, the humble match-head.
Peter Jackmond
is the Managing Director of Lightning Decision Matches.
In an average year,
we get through roughly 40 tons of sulphur.
This translates into approximately 21 million individual matches.
Since the company was formed,
we've produced 156 million, 280 thousand matches.
If we continue at the current rate of production,
by the year 3500,
we'll have made 900 thousand, billion, billion, billion, billion,
billion, billion matches.
- (PHONE RINGS) - That's a lot of matches.
An experiment was carried out
to observe the effects of sulphur upon a solution rich in iron.
We're going to be using one household item
famous for its iron content.
Can you work out what it is?
Correct.
A quantity of champagne is poured into a large glass trough.
We're using about 17 bottlesworth.
There's a lot of cheap brands on the market these days,
but we suggest using one of the better ones.
Next, a small amount of powdered sulphur
is dropped into the champagne
and the solution is agitated, producing...
Write that down.
Now a big beaker of sulphagne is brought to over to our subject.
This is Len Pounds, a lab assistant working at the British University.
Because sulphagne has a rather eggy smell,
nasal corks are applied.
Next, Len takes a few gulps of our solution.
Observe the reaction and note down the result in your copybooks.
The sulphagne appears to have taken effect almost immediately.
Note Len's clammy brow and cheeks.
The scientist instructs Len to concentrate on the test tube.
The test tube has disappeared.
Now we try something larger.
Also gone.
You've probably seen this process in action at your local dump,
as it's used in the waste-disposal industry.
However, scientists are as yet unsure
as to why this phenomenon should occur,
but it's thought there must be a simple scientific reason.
What that is, we just don' t know.
Write that down in your copybook now.
(GUNSHOTS)
(GUN CLICKS)
Now hand in your copybooks to your teacher or head of class.
In the next programme, we will look at Italians.