Who Invented the Safety Lamp?

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The safety lamp was invented by Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829), an English scientist, in 1815. He was born and educated in

Cornwall, England. His lamp prevented the explosion of air containing methane, a gas common in coal mines. Prior to this invention, many miners lost their lives due to explosions in the mines. Davy surrounded the lamp's flame with a wire gauze. This cooled the flame and prevented it from passing through the gauze to the explosive gases. Sir Humphry Davy also discovered that nitrous oxide (laughing gas) could be used as an anesthetic. He discovered that materials could be separated into their elements by passing an electric current through them. 

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