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I have been following with great interest the controversy over the determination of the oxygen content of air summarized in the article by Birk and Lawson, "The Persistence of the Candle-and-Cylinder Misconception" , in the July 1999 issue of the Journal, and the alternative determination described by Birk, McGrath, and Gunter in the October 1981 issue of this Journal.
In Brazil, chemicals such as acetic acid are not readily accessible for laboratory work at the middle and high school level, so I decided to substitute common vinegar. I tried pure vinegar (about 0.8 mol/L acetic acid) and vinegar diluted with an equal volume of water (about 0.4 mol/L). I also used a bigger cylinder (100 mL) than the one suggested by Birk, McGrath, and Gunter, and around 4 grams of steel wool, to improve the visual effect. In both variations I got excellent results. The best result (closest to 21% O2) was obtained with the diluted vinegar.
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