Science Setup?

Question

I'm doing an experiment where I need to setup a retort stand so that I can use a bunsen burner. Can anyone tell me what goes between the clamp and the retort stand to connect them?

Answer 1

Well thats a difficult question.I think there is a doohicky which connects them.The guy above knows what hes talking about.Too bad I'm not taking science subjects anymore.

Answer 2

From your description, it appears the clamp connects the boiling flask directly to the retort stand. Way back when I took chemistry 101, the usual apparatus consisted of the stand, a ring clamp, the bunsen burner, an asbestos pad and the boiling flask. The flask sat on the pad which was supported by the ring clamp. The bunsen burner was then placed under the asbestos pad.

A ring clamp is a metal ring with a short sidearm ending in a s***w attachment. The asbestos pad was a heavy wire mesh with a pad of compressed asbestos. It was placed between the flask and the burner to distribute heat evenly to the bottom of the boiling flask.

I doubt these pads are used anymore because of the asbestos. In a working lab, distillation is often carried out using a heating mantle. It sort of resembles a bird's nest. It has a spherical depression lined with fiberglass and heating coils inside. It is operated using a rheostat, so the amount of electrical heat can be controlled. The boiling flask set neatly inside the heating mantle, which was supported on a ring clamp. An additional clamp was used to grasp the neck of the boiling flask.