Flashcards on Laboratory Heating Methods and Safety

Laboratory Heating Methods & Safety: A Student's Guide

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What is a major safety drawback of using a Bunsen burner for heating substances?

It has a naked flame, so you should not use it for heating flammable compounds because they could catch fire.

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Laboratory Heating Methods

12 cards

Card 1

Question: What is a major safety drawback of using a Bunsen burner for heating substances?

Answer: It has a naked flame, so you should not use it for heating flammable compounds because they could catch fire.

Card 2

Question: How do you connect and light a Bunsen burner safely?

Answer: Connect it to a gas tap with the air hole closed, place on a heat-proof mat, light a splint and hold it over the burner, then turn on the gas so it li

Card 3

Question: How do you adjust a Bunsen burner to increase heating strength and what visual change indicates this?

Answer: Open the air hole more to increase heating strength; as you open it the flame becomes more blue.

Card 4

Question: Where is the hottest part of a Bunsen burner flame and where should you position the object being heated?

Answer: The hottest part is just above the blue cone; you should heat things there.

Card 5

Question: What should you do if a Bunsen burner is alight but not heating anything and the flame is hard to see?

Answer: Close the air hole so the flame becomes yellow and clearly visible.

Card 6

Question: How should you hold a test tube when its contents are being heated in a Bunsen burner flame?

Answer: Hold the vessel at the top, furthest away from the substance and flame, using a pair of tongs.

Card 7

Question: What setup should you use when heating a vessel over a Bunsen burner (e.g., an evaporating dish)?

Answer: Place a tripod and gauze over the Bunsen burner before lighting, and put the vessel on the tripod and gauze.

Card 8

Question: What is a simple water bath and what is its main limitation when made by heating a beaker over a Bunsen burner?

Answer: A simple water bath is a container of water heated (e.g., a beaker over a Bunsen) with temperature monitored by a thermometer; its limitation is diffi

Card 9

Question: How does an electric water bath differ from a simple water bath and how do you use it?

Answer: An electric water bath monitors and adjusts the temperature automatically. Set the temperature, allow water to heat, then place the vessel (using tong

Card 10

Question: Why does a water bath provide even heating to a vessel's contents?

Answer: Because the substance is surrounded by water, which transfers heat evenly to the vessel and its contents.