Thursday, March 25, 2010

What are the uses of a crucible, safety glasses, spatula, tripod and balances?

Crucible: This is typically a ceramic or metal cup, varying in size and volume but usually closer to something like a shotglass than a coffee mug. Crucibles are intended for reactions that involve applying heat, often via a gas burner. The metal or ceramic nature of the crucible makes it a good insulator and capable of withstanding the temperatures it's being subjected to without breaking. It is a common choice for experiments that involve metals.


Safety glasses: This is pretty straightforward; they protect your eyes. Many if not all experiments involve tools or procedures that could damage or destroy your eyes if they came in contact with them. 


Spatula: These are sort of an all-purpose tool in chemistry; I use them for scooping, moving, mixing and inspecting compounds, as well as cleaning. Since they're sterile and non-reactive they tend to be a good choice for this, and aren't as fragile as a glass rod. 


Tripod: Often used in concert with things like a crucible, and intended as a stand to support them over another object, like the aforementioned burner. They're a little more stable and capable of reliably supporting more weight than a ring clamp.


Balances: Most balances are digital now, which is sensible because it's a bit of a waste of time to be using scale balances these days. Balances are just meant to evaluate the mass of whatever you put on them. 

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