Date: ____________

COMMON LABORATORY OPERATIONS

Introduction
Chemistry is an experimental science, with careful observation and the use of good laboratory
practices and techniques. In this experiment, you will become familiar on some common
laboratory glassware, equipment and tools, their uses and some basic operation that can help
when performing experiments.
I. Objectives
To be familiar and acquaint some laboratory operations.
II. Apparatus
2 beakers 50 ml 1 glass rod
1 test tube holder 1 test tube brush
Bunsen burner 1 graduated cylinder 10ml
5 test tubes 1 Erlenmeyer flask 125 ml
1 funnel 1 evaporating dish
Wire gauze test tube rack
Clay flame shield crucible tong
Watch glass block of wood

III. Procedure

A. Heating Liquids with Test Tubes

Take an uncalibrated test tube and fill half its volume with tap water. With the use of a
test tube holder, hold the tube at about 45° angle and move the tube slowly back and forth
through the liquid the flame in such a way that the top of the flame is near the top of the
liquid but does not touch the empty part of the test tube.
PRECAUTION: When heating liquids, never point the open end of the test tube towards
another person

What is formed on the walls of the test tube? ___________________________________

Why should the flame be near the upper portion of the liquid rather than at the bottom?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Reserve the heated liquid for the next procedure B.

(you may watch videos/ search related to the lesson and answer the questions)
 B. Measuring Temperature of a Liquid
Measure the room using a thermometer. Record in the scale reading of the mercury or
alcohol level in °C.

Room Temperature reading __________________

Dip the mercury/ alcohol bulb of the thermometer in the test tube with hot water from
procedure A

Temperature of hot water ____________________

C. Measurement of the Volume of a Liquid
Fill a test tube with water up to the brim. Transfer the water completely into the
graduated cylinder. Place the graduated cylinder into a flat surface and read the volume
of the water at the lower meniscus as shown in Figure 1. Read the volume in millimeters.

Figure 1

Why do you read the volume of a liquid at the lower meniscus?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

D. Transferring Liquids
Take two 50ml beakers. Fill one with about ¾ full of water. Take the beaker with water
in one hand and the other hand with the glass rod. Hold the glass rod against the lip of the
beaker and carefully transfer the water to the empty beaker. Figure 2.
 Figure 2

Why should we use a glass rod in transferring liquids to another container/vessel?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

E. Mixtures and Their Separation

1. Precipitation is a process in which a solute separate from a supersaturated solution. In a

chemical laboratory it usually refers to a solid crystallizing from a liquid solution.

Give 2 examples write their chemical balanced equation.

2. Filtration, the technique used to separate solids from liquids, is the act of pouring a
mixture onto a membrane (filter paper) that allows the passage of liquid (the filtrate) and
results in the collection of the solid.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0s71cjCNWs

Explain which is a good way to separate a mixture, filtration or decantation. Explain.

( not less than 3 sentences)

3. Decantation, the process of pouring away a liquid while leaving a solid (often a

precipitate) behind.
Give 2 examples.

4. Evaporation is the process by which water / liquid changes from a liquid to a gas or
vapor.
Give 2 examples.
 For irregularly shaped solids, the volume can be indirectly determined via the volume of
water (or any other liquid) that the solid displaces when it is immersed in the water
(Archimedes Principle). The units for solid volumes are typically cubic centimeters (cm3) or cubic
meters (m3). Note that 1 mL = 1 cm3.

Density is defined as the mass per unit volume of a substance. Density is a physical property of matter.
Physical properties can be measured without changing the chemical identity of the substance. Since pure
substances have unique density values, measuring the density of a substance can help identify that
substance. Density is also an intensive property. An intensive property is one that is independent of the
amount of matter present. For example, the density of a gold coin and a gold statue are the same, even
though the gold statue consists of the greater quantity of gold. Density is determined by dividing the mass
of a substance by its volume:

Sources:
https://passnownow.com/please-tell-me-how-do-i-read-a-meniscus-accurately/

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+precipitation

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+simple+explanation+filtration+in+laboratory

https://www.chem.ucla.edu/~harding/IGOC/D/decantation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0s71cjCNWs

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+simple+explanation+of+evaporation+in+laborato