General Chemistry Laboratory

August 19, 2019 EXP 1: COMMON LABORATORY TECHNIQUES AND

OPERATIONS
Common Laboratory Apparatus
MATERIALS
1. Triple beam balance – Used to measure masses precisely with
a reading error 0.05 grams. Bunsen burner
2. Analytical balance – Highly sensitive instrument designed to Test tube
accurately measure mass. Readability is ranged between 0.1 mg
Test tube holder
– 0.01 mg.
3. Bunsen burner – Produces a single open gas flame, used for
Triple beam balance
heating, sterilizing and combustion. Watch Glass
4. Tripod – Three-legged platform used to support flasks or 50ml Beaker
beaker. Graduated cylinder
5. Wire gauze – Placed above tripod or support ring, supports 150ml Beaker
beaker or other glassware during heating. Filter paper
6. Water bath – Used to incubate water samples at a constant Funnel
temperature over a certain period.
Thermometer
7. Test tube – Used to hold, heat and mix chemical experiments.
8. Test tube holder – Used to hold test tube when it is hot or
should not be touched.
9. Test tube rack – Used to hold test tube upright at multiple times. CHEMICALS
10. Test tube brush – Used to clean test tube and other labware Sodium chloride crystals
which has tubing.
0.1M Hydrochloric acid
11. Beaker – Used in measuring chemicals or liquids. Can be used
to hold/mix solid/liquid chemicals. 0.1M Silver nitrate
12. Graduated cylinder – Precisely measure the volume of a liquid 0.1M Sodium chloride
or aqueous chemicals.
13. Erlenmeyer Flask – Used for pouring solutions and can be PROCEDURE
stopped by stopper for storing. A. BUNSEN BURNER
14. Florence Flask – Designed for uniform heating, boiling and a. Lightning of Bunsen Burner
distillation. Produced with different kind of thickness to stand 1. Examine the parts of the Bunsen burner and draw and label its parts in the
different type of use. data sheet provide.
15. Distilling Flask – Used to separate mixture of two liquids with 2. Attach the rubber tubing to the gas outlet.
different boiling point. 3. Close the air holes and slightly open the gas spud.
16. Volumetric Flask – Flask designed with precise volume for a 4. Light a matchstick, place it in the side of the barrel.
certain temperature. Used for precise dilutions. 5. Open the gas outlet.
17. Separatory Funnel – If placed with filter paper, it separates 6. When the flame is produced, open the air holes until flame is color pale
solid from the liquid solution. blue.
18. Burette – Used in titrations. Used to add slowly and precisely b. Determining the Flame Temperature
chemicals to another. 1. Wet a cardboard and hold it vertically through the center of the flame with
19. Pipette – Used to precisely measure a certain volume of a liquid the lower end rested on top of the burner.
or aqueous chemical. 2. Remove the cardboard as it begins to char.
20. Funnel - Used to accurately and cleanly add a chemical to 3. Sketch the flame showing the different regions of the flame.
another.
21. Thermometer – Used to measure the temperature accurately of B. HEATING LIQUID IN A TEST TUBE
a certain substance. 1. Half-fill a test tube with water.
22. Watch glass – Used as a surface for liquid evaporation, 2. Hold the test tube with a test tube holder.
weighing solids, heating a small amount of substance and 3. Tilt it about 45oC and heat it by moving it back and forth across the flame of
covering a beaker. the burner.
23. Spatula/Spoonula – Used for transferring, scraping, applying ***Do not point the tube to anyone nor look into the
power and paste-like chemicals. tube while it is being heated
24. Iron stand – Used to hold iron ring, and supports flasks and
funnel in an upright position. C. WEIGHING
25. Iron Ring – Supporting apparatus above work surface. 1. Get a pinch-sized sodium chloride in the reagent bottle and place it in the
26. Wash bottle – Used to watch sides of flask and other glassware previously weighed watch glass.
during titration. 2. Remove or add some sodium chloride so that the amount will only be 0.30
gram.
27. Hot plate – A platform generally used to heat glassware and its
3. If the solid is not enough, go back to the reagent bottle and add some more
content.
solids. Do not bring the reagent bottle to your table instead bring the watch
28. Centrifuge – Used for separation of liquids, gas or fluids with
glass to the reagent bottle.
different density.
4. Reserve the weighed solid for the next step.
29. Stirring rod - Used to mix chemical or liquids for laboratory
***NEVER return excess chemicals in the reagent bottle. Properly dispose it to the
purposes.
correct waste bottle.
30. Crucible tong – Has two concave pincers, used to grasp small
beakers, flask, evaporating dishes and etc.
31. Crucible and cover – Used to contain chemicals at an D. TRANSFERRING OF LIQUID
extremely high temperature. a. SOLIDS
32. Mortar and pestle - Mortar is used as a surface for mashing, 1. Transfer the weighed solid in procedure B to a 50-ml beaker.
grinding and crashing by pestle. 2. Dilute the solid with water until the 50-ml mark.
33. Evaporating dish – Used to evaporate excess solvents to 3. Dissolve slowly until a clear solution is formed.
produce concentrated solution. 4. Reserve the solution for procedure E.
34. Clay triangle – Used in the process of heating substances.
Example, T supports crucible and cover. b. LIQUIDS
35. Dropper – Used to add very small amount of liquid (drops) or ***CAUTION: always transfer acid to water, not the other way.
aqueous chemicals. 1. Get 5ml of 0.1M hydrochloric acid in the reagent bottle using graduated
36. Spot plate – Used to hold small amount of chemicals and cylinder.
perform chemical reaction. 2. Transfer the acid in a 150-ml beaker with enough amount of water.
37. Water trough - Used to collect and contain water from gases 3. Dilute the acid with additional water up to 100-ml.

E. FILTRATION
1. Get 5ml of 0.1M silver nitrate and place it in a test tube.
2. Get 5ml of 0.1M sodium chloride solution prepared in D. 4. Separate the solid precipitate that was formed using filtration method.
3. Mix the two solutions and observe.