Burette
Encyclopedia
A burette is a vertical cylindrical piece of laboratory glassware
with a volumetric graduation on its full length and a precision tap, or stopcock
, on the bottom. It is used to dispense known amounts of a liquid
reagent
in experiments for which such precision
is necessary, such as a titration
experiment. Burettes are extremely accurate - a 50 cm3 burette has a tolerance of 0.1 cm3 (class B) or 0.06 cm3 (class A).
Burettes measure from the top since they are used to measure liquids dispensed out the bottom. The difference between starting and final volume is the amount dispensed.
Laboratory glassware
Laboratory glassware refers to a variety of equipment, traditionally made of glass, used for scientific experiments and other work in science, especially in chemistry and biology laboratories...
with a volumetric graduation on its full length and a precision tap, or stopcock
Stopcock
A stopcock is a valve used to restrict or isolate the flow of a liquid or gas through a pipe.In Great Britain a stopcock, not to be confused with a gate valve or a DiCiaccio branch, is used to prevent flow of water into a domestic water system. There are usually two stopcocks for a home...
, on the bottom. It is used to dispense known amounts of a liquid
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
reagent
Reagent
A reagent is a "substance or compound that is added to a system in order to bring about a chemical reaction, or added to see if a reaction occurs." Although the terms reactant and reagent are often used interchangeably, a reactant is less specifically a "substance that is consumed in the course of...
in experiments for which such precision
Accuracy and precision
In the fields of science, engineering, industry and statistics, the accuracy of a measurement system is the degree of closeness of measurements of a quantity to that quantity's actual value. The precision of a measurement system, also called reproducibility or repeatability, is the degree to which...
is necessary, such as a titration
Titration
Titration, also known as titrimetry, is a common laboratory method of quantitative chemical analysis that is used to determine the unknown concentration of an identified analyte. Because volume measurements play a key role in titration, it is also known as volumetric analysis. A reagent, called the...
experiment. Burettes are extremely accurate - a 50 cm3 burette has a tolerance of 0.1 cm3 (class B) or 0.06 cm3 (class A).
Burettes measure from the top since they are used to measure liquids dispensed out the bottom. The difference between starting and final volume is the amount dispensed.
External links
- Using a Burette from ChemLab at Dartmouth College
- http://core.ecu.edu/chem/chemlab/equipment/images/burette.jpg
- Use of the Buret
- Digital burette and selecting the right digital burette
- Margin of error for volumetric measuring instruments