Follow the links below for a description of each piece of glassware or equipment. Included in the description is where the item should be located (in your student drawer, the labs, or community equipment), the replacement cost, care and use of the item.
Glassware used for distillation, reflux, and other organic chemistry laboratory procedures "fits together" by 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 to not implode under reduced pressure and not break under high heat.
 round bottom flask |
 Y-adaptor |
 vacuum adaptor |
 condenser |
 thermometer adaptor |
 Claisen adaptor |
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. If you find one, you can trade (no charge!) for a new piece of glassware. To prevent star cracks, always handle the glassware carefully.
