1. When calibrating glass apparatus one has to be mindful of the temperature, why?

What
happens to glass when temperature increases?
Volumetric glassware such as pipet and buret are designed to deliver volume of liquid at a
specific temperature. These glassware need to be calibrated in order to have accurate results. For
example, although a pipet may be labeled "10 mL", this does not guarantee that it
will deliver exactly 10 mL. If the actual volume is not known, an error will be
introduced into every operation that pipet is used.
Glassware are marked to deliver a known volume of water at a defined
temperature, usually 20 oC. Since the temperature of the laboratory may not be
exactly 20C, a formula must be used to calculate the volume of the glassware at
the temperature of measurement. It is important to note that the density of water
and the volume of the glassware vary with temperature. At higher temperature,
glassware tends to expand and at lower temperature, it contracts.

2. When weighing liquid/solid using the analytical balance, we need to preheat the balance at
least 30 minutes, why?
When an analytical balance is connected to a power source it will go through a series of
internal checks. Remember that the unit must warm up when first connected to a power source.
The warm-up period can be at least 30 minutes. This allows balance to reach the proper operating
temperature or to equilibrate with the temperature of the surroundings.
Furthermore, preheating for 30 minutes allows the balance to attain stability in electrical
signal. Fluctuations in electric current affect the signal of balances giving an inaccurate weight
measurement.
3. Why there is a need to tare the balance after weighing the container where the solid/liquid will
be placed?
To get an accurate weight, we must tare the balance after weighing the container. Taring
of the balance cancels out the weight of the container. Taring eliminates the undesirable
contributions in weight of dirt adhering to the container and moisture adsorption especially when
the humidity in the weighing room is high.
Through taring, the weight reflected in the balance monitor is the weight of the
solid/liquid being measured. Errors are minimized as compared to weighing by difference. In
weighing by difference, analyst often commits mistake in the subtraction of weights.
4. Why should the pan of the balance be wiped clean with a piece of tissue before using?
Dirty weigh pans and powder in weighing chamber can contribute to static issues and
lead to a wide variety of problems. Static is one of the most common weighing noises. It can
cause reading to appear too high, too low or just be unstable.
Dirt and powders may also reduce or increase weight of a given substance.

5. Why is wax paper highly recommended to use in weighing?

Wax paper is a type of paper that is treated with wax to allow it to have a smooth surface
that prevents other items from sticking to the paper. It is used when powders and other small
solids are weighed, to ensure that the balance pan remains clean and no part of the solid escapes.
Wax paper is recommended for this purpose because it resists leaking and grease, and it
helps prevents contamination. After weighing, the sheet can be gently folded and used as a
funnel to put the substance that was weighed back into its receptacle.
6. What is the basic principle of chromatography? Give the differences of the three types of
chromatography?
Chromatography is a simple technique used in separating substances in a mixture and
identifying those substances. The term derived from the words chroma meaning color and
graphein to write. The three important components in chromatography are namely:
1. the substances to be identified;
2. the moving phase, a solvent or solvents in which the substances are dissolved; and
3. the stationary phase, on which the compounds can be absorbed.
These components are present in paper, column and thin layer chromatography. As the
solvent moves over the location of the substances, the substance begins to move up the paper (for
paper chromatography) and the plate (for thin layer chromatography). Whereas in Column
chromatography, the solvent moves down the stationary phase.
The rate at which the substances move is related to its relative affinity for the stationary
phase and the mobile phase. The rate of movement of a substance is reported as its Retention
factor (Rf). Rf is simply the distance the substance moved through the stationary phase divided by
the distance the solvent moved. Unknown substance is identified through cross-matching with
the Rf of a known substance.
In paper chromatography, substances are spotted on a piece of filter paper. The filter
paper is composed mostly of cellulose (stationary phase). Next an organic solvent is drawn up
the paper by capillary action.
In TLC the solvent is usually moves up the stationary phase, against the gravity force,
and in column chromatography the solvent is moving downwards, along with the gravity force.
Adsorbent for both TLC and column chromatography is usually silica gel (SiO 2 x H2O) or
alumina (Al2O3).