Basic chemistry lab skills

University of Glasgow
29 Oct 202105:12
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this educational video, Lucy from the University of Glasgow demonstrates essential chemistry lab techniques. She guides viewers through washing and filling a pipette, setting up a burette, and preparing a standard sodium chloride solution. The video emphasizes safety practices, accurate measurements, and thorough mixing, showcasing fundamental skills crucial for chemistry students and aspiring chemists.

Takeaways
  • 🧪 Safety First: Always wear lab glasses, gloves, and safety specs before starting any chemistry experiment.
  • 🔬 Pipette Usage: Demonstrates the correct method to wash, fill, and use a 20ml pipette, including the importance of the meniscus.
  • 🧴 Burette Preparation: Explains the process of washing and filling a burette with care to avoid bubbles and ensure accuracy.
  • 💧 Sodium Hydroxide Solution: The script involves using a sodium hydroxide solution for both pipette and burette demonstrations.
  • 📐 Setting Up Equipment: Emphasizes the importance of setting up lab equipment properly, including tying hair and wearing safety gear.
  • ⚖️ Weighing Chemicals: Describes the process of using a balance to weigh chemicals accurately, such as sodium chloride.
  • 🥄 Dissolving Compounds: Highlights the method of dissolving chemicals in a beaker using deionised water and a glass rod.
  • 🍶 Transferring Solutions: Shows the technique of transferring solutions from a beaker to a standard flask using a pipette and funnel.
  • 🔋 Dilution to Mark: Details the process of diluting a solution to the graduation mark in a standard flask and adjusting the meniscus.
  • 🔄 Mixing Solutions: Stresses the importance of thoroughly mixing solutions by inverting the flask to ensure homogeneity.
  • 📝 Recording Measurements: Emphasizes the need to record the mass of chemicals used for accurate standard solution preparation.
Q & A
  • What is the purpose of the video?

    -The purpose of the video is to demonstrate basic chemistry skills, including using a burette, pipette, and preparing a standard solution.

  • What safety measures does Lucy take before starting the experiment?

    -Lucy puts on lab glasses, lab gloves, safety specs, and ties her hair up as part of the safety measures before starting the experiment.

  • How does Lucy wash and fill a pipette?

    -Lucy attaches the pipette filler to the pipette, draws up the solution to half fill the pipette, removes the filler, closes the top with her thumb, rinses the solution around the pipette, drains it into the waste beaker, reattaches the filler, and fills the pipette up to the mark, reading from the bottom of the meniscus.

  • What is the meniscus and why is it important in pipetting?

    -The meniscus is the bottom of the curve of the liquid when in the pipette. It is important because it is the correct level from which to read the volume of the liquid in the pipette.

  • How does Lucy prepare the burette for use?

    -Lucy pours out sodium hydroxide solution into a beaker, washes the burette by filling it halfway with the solution, opens the tap to ensure no bubbles are left, washes out the top into the waste bucket, and fills the burette with more solution than needed, removing the funnel before starting the reaction.

  • Why is it necessary to remove the funnel from the burette before starting the reaction?

    -Removing the funnel prevents the solution from dripping in and changing the volume in the burette, which could affect the accuracy of the experiment.

  • What is the first step in preparing a standard solution according to Lucy?

    -The first step is to put on lab gloves and glasses, turn on the balance, and tare it to zero.

  • How does Lucy ensure the correct mass of sodium chloride is weighed?

    -Lucy puts the weighing boat on the balance and tars it again, removes the boat, adds sodium chloride, checks the mass on the balance, and adjusts if necessary.

  • What is the role of a glass rod in preparing a standard solution?

    -The glass rod is used to stir the solution in the beaker until the sodium chloride is fully dissolved.

  • How does Lucy ensure the solution is fully mixed in the standard flask?

    -Lucy adds the solution from the beaker to the standard flask using a funnel, rinses the beaker with a pipette, tops up with extra water until near the graduation mark, filters the meniscus with a plastic pipette, removes the funnel, adds the stopper, and inverts the flask several times.

  • What is the significance of making a standard solution in chemistry?

    -A standard solution is a solution of known concentration used as a reference in various chemical analyses and experiments. It is a fundamental technique in chemistry that is useful throughout a chemist's education and career.

Outlines
00:00
🧪 Basic Chemistry Skills Demonstration

Lucy introduces herself as a chemistry student at the University of Glasgow and outlines the purpose of the video: to demonstrate basic chemistry lab techniques. She begins by showing how to properly wash and fill a 20ml pipette, emphasizing the importance of safety gear such as lab glasses and gloves. Lucy then proceeds to set up a burette, detailing the process of washing and filling it with sodium hydroxide solution, and ensuring the absence of air bubbles. She also explains the significance of the meniscus in accurate volume measurement.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter. In the video, it is the subject of study for Lucy at the University of Glasgow, and the theme revolves around demonstrating basic chemistry skills, indicating the importance of understanding chemical principles for students and professionals in the field.
💡Burette
A burette is a piece of laboratory equipment used for accurately measuring and dispensing variable volumes of liquid. In the script, Lucy demonstrates how to wash and fill a burette, which is essential for precise chemical analysis and experiments, highlighting the importance of accurate measurement in chemistry.
💡Pipette
A pipette is a laboratory tool used to transfer or dispense small, measured volumes of liquid. Lucy shows the process of washing and filling a pipette, emphasizing the need for cleanliness and accuracy in chemical procedures, which is crucial for obtaining reliable results in experiments.
💡Standard Solution
A standard solution is a solution with a known concentration of a substance, used for calibration or in titration. Lucy explains how to prepare a standard solution of sodium chloride, which is a fundamental skill in chemistry for ensuring the accuracy of experimental measurements and results.
💡Meniscus
The meniscus refers to the curved surface of a liquid in a container, which is lower at the edges due to surface tension. In the script, Lucy mentions reading from the bottom of the meniscus when filling a pipette and burette, illustrating its importance in accurate volume measurement.
💡Safety Precautions
Safety precautions are measures taken to prevent harm or accidents in a laboratory setting. Lucy puts on lab glasses, gloves, and safety specs, emphasizing the importance of personal protective equipment in chemistry to ensure the safety of those conducting experiments.
💡Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide is a strong base used in various chemical reactions and cleaning processes. In the script, it is used to wash the burette, demonstrating its role in laboratory cleaning and preparation, and highlighting the need for handling chemicals with care.
💡Balance
A balance, also known as scales in chemistry, is used for measuring the mass of substances accurately. Lucy turns on the balance and uses it to weigh sodium chloride, showing the necessity of precise measurements in chemical preparation and analysis.
💡Weighing Boat
A weighing boat is a small container used for holding substances when using a balance for mass measurement. Lucy places the weighing boat on the balance and adds sodium chloride to it, indicating its use in accurately determining the amount of chemical needed for a solution.
💡Deionised Water
Deionised water is water that has had its ions removed, making it suitable for use in laboratories to avoid contamination. Lucy uses deionised water to rinse the weighing boat and to dissolve sodium chloride, illustrating its importance in maintaining the purity of chemical solutions.
💡Titration
Titration is a laboratory technique used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution by reacting it with a standard solution. Although not explicitly mentioned in the script, the preparation of a standard solution is a precursor to titration, indicating the relevance of the skills demonstrated to this common analytical method.
Highlights

Lucy introduces herself as a chemistry student at the University of Glasgow.

Demonstrates basic chemistry skills including using a burette, pipette, and preparing a standard solution.

Shows how to properly wash and fill a 20ml pipette with a pipette filler.

Rinses the pipette with the solution and drains it into a waste beaker.

Closes the pipette top with a thumb to prevent spillage while filling.

Reads the pipette volume from the bottom of the meniscus for accuracy.

Sets up the burette with safety precautions like tying hair up and wearing safety specs and gloves.

Pours sodium hydroxide solution into a beaker for burette washing.

Ensures the burette is half filled with sodium hydroxide solution and checks for bubbles.

Washes out the burette top into a waste bucket to avoid contamination.

Fills the burette with more solution than needed, then removes the funnel before the reaction starts.

Adjusts the burette tap to control the meniscus level accurately.

Prepares a standard solution by wearing lab gloves and glasses for safety.

Uses a balance to weigh sodium chloride for the standard solution.

Ensures no spillage by removing the weighing boat before adding sodium chloride.

Notes down the mass of sodium chloride for accurate standard solution preparation.

Dissolves sodium chloride in deionised water and stirs with a glass rod until fully dissolved.

Transfers the solution to a standard flask using a funnel and pipette for precision.

Tops up the flask with water and filters the meniscus to reach the graduation mark.

Mixes the solution thoroughly by inverting the flask to ensure homogeneity.

Emphasizes the importance of these skills for a chemistry degree and future career as a chemist.

Transcripts
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