How it works
A burette set up for a titration, shortened to fit the screen, then the top of the tube and the stopcock enlarged. Burette is also spelled buret.
Read the full guide
From the top down
Numbers 1 to 6 are the whole set-up: the burette tube, the titrant inside it, the burette clamp that holds it to the rod of a stand, and under it the flask with the analyte. Numbers 7 and 8 are the top of the tube: the graduations, and the meniscus, the curved surface of the liquid, where the reading is taken. Numbers 9 to 11 are the bottom: the stopcock, the handle that turns it, and the tip the liquid leaves by.
- Read the scale at the bottom of the meniscus, with your eye level with it.
- The flask's sloping sides let you swirl the mixture without spilling it.
Questions and answers
What is a burette used for?
For delivering a measured volume of liquid, above all in a titration. The scale is read before and after, and the difference between the two readings is the volume that has run out.
How do you read a burette?
Read the scale at the bottom of the meniscus, with your eye level with it. The graduations number from the top down, so the volume delivered is the second reading minus the first.
What does the stopcock do on a burette?
It is the tap at the bottom of the tube. Turning its handle opens or closes the way through, and how far it is turned controls how fast the titrant runs out of the tip.
What is the difference between the titrant and the analyte?
The titrant is the solution in the burette, whose concentration is known. The analyte is the solution in the flask, whose concentration is being measured. An indicator in the flask changes color when enough titrant has been added.