BURETTES – Reliance Laboratory Equipment

Burettes are cylindrical, graduated glass tubes used to accurately dispense and measure variable volumes of liquids, primarily in chemical titrations.They are essential in analytical chemistry for precise control of liquid addition, allowing for the determination of unknown concentrations through titration procedures.

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

Key Features and Function:

Graduated Scale:

The burette’s graduated scale allows for precise volume readings before and after dispensing liquid.
Stopcock:

A valve or stopcock at the bottom controls the flow of liquid, enabling controlled dispensing, either as a stream or dropwise.
Transparency:

Clear glass allows for accurate observation of the liquid level and meniscus, crucial for precise measurements.

Uses:

Titration:

Burettes are the workhorses of titration, a technique to determine the concentration of a solution by reacting it with a solution of known concentration.
Volumetric Analysis:

Burettes are used in volumetric analysis, where the volume of a liquid is accurately measured to determine the concentration of a substance.
Quantitative Chemical Analysis:

They are used in various analytical chemical tests, including acid/base titrations, reduction/oxidation titrations, and precipitation titrations.
Dispensing Aliquots:

Burettes can dispense small, accurately measured volumes of liquid (aliquots) for various experimental purposes.

How it Works:

The burette is filled with the titrant (the solution of known concentration).
The stopcock is adjusted to release the titrant into the solution being analyzed.
The volume of titrant dispensed is determined by reading the graduated scale before and after dispensing.
The endpoint of the reaction is often indicated by a color change, marking the point where the titrant has completely reacted with the solution.

Advantages:

Precision and Accuracy:

Burettes offer excellent control over liquid dispensing, making them ideal for experiments requiring high accuracy.
Variable Volume:

Unlike pipettes that dispense fixed volumes, burettes allow for dispensing variable amounts, making them versatile for various experiments.