Glassware and Equipment

At the start of the semester, each student in the organic labs checks out a drawer. This drawer and its contents become the student's responsibility until the end of the semester. All of the items in the drawers are listed below; each image links to a description of the glassware or equipment. The checklists for drawers and the prices for replacing broken glassware are linked here. These documents are also posted on the bulletin board in each lab.

• Checklist for drawers used in OChem
• Prices for replacing broken glassware

Distillation and Reaction Glassware

Glassware used for distillation, reflux, and other organic chemistry laboratory procedures fits together due to the ground glass joints incorporated into each piece of glassware. This type of glassware connection is called "standard taper" joints. They come in different sizes: the larger the number, the larger the size. The organic teaching labs use 14/20 size standard taper. Floating around the labs from past years or for special procedures are also 24/40 and 19/22 sized standard taper glassware.

Standard taper glassware is more expensive than common glassware such as beakers and erlenmeyer flasks. One reason is that this glassware must be carefully machined so that each piece of glassware produced by each manufacturer must fit each and other standard taper joint of the same size, whereever and whenever it is made. Another reason is that each piece of glassware must be strong enough not to implode under reduced pressure and not break under high heat.

Standard taper glassware, especially round bottom flasks, are susceptible to star cracks. These are tiny, radiating defaults in the glassware. Before setting up a reaction, carefully check your glassware for star cracks. To prevent star cracks, always handle the glassware carefully.

Round-bottom flask	Y-adaptor	Vacuum adaptor
Condenser	Thermometer adaptor	Claisen adaptor

Bench Glassware

This glassware is generally less expensive than the reaction glassware listed above, due to the absence of ground-glass joints (the separatory funnel is an exception). It is generally used for measuring, storing and working up the reaction, rather than performing the reaction itself.

Beaker	Erlenmeyer flask	Side-arm flask
Buchner funnels	Stemmed funnels	Separatory funnel
Thermometer	Watch glass	Graduated cylinder
Stir rod	Vial	Crystallizing dish
Pasteur Pipet

Bench Equipment

This equipment is used to support the reaction apparatus or manipulate the contents. All of these items can be replaced at any time for free.

Versatile clamp	3-pronged clamp	Ring clamp
Spatula	Scoopula	Forceps
Keck clip	Stir bar

Community Equipment

This equipment does not belong in the lab drawers but should be left out for everyone to use. Each student fume hood should contain a heating mantle, stir motor, variac and ring stand. There are extras of all of these in the back of the room. The tubing is located on the shelves in the back of the room.

Heating mantle	Stir motor	Variac
Stirring Hotplate	Ring stand	Tubing