HKDSE Chemistry
Supplementary Knowledge for Chapter 1: Laboratory techniques
Storage of chemicals
⚫ To prevent getting contact and reacting with oxygen, potassium and sodium are kept under paraffin
oil.
⚫ Flammable substances (normally organic compounds) have to be stored in a cool place, away from
direct sunlight and heat sources.
⚫ Chemicals which readily absorb moisture are kept in well-sealed containers, e.g. anhydrous
aluminium chloride.
⚫ Some chemicals will decompose much more quickly in the presence of light. Examples are
concentrated nitric acid, potassium permanganate solution, silver nitrate solution, hydrogen peroxide
solution, chlorine water and bromine water. They are kept in brown bottles.
⚫ Silver nitrate solution should not be stored in iron containers as they react in displacement reactions.
⚫ Organic solvents should not be stored in plastic containers as plastic containers may dissolve in the
organic solvents.
Vertical section diagrams of common laboratory apparatus
Test tube Beaker Measuring cylinder Filter funnel
Conical flask Round-bottomed flask Evaporating dish Watch glass
Wire gauze Bunsen burner Tripod Dropper
HKDSE Chemistry Supplementary Knowledge for Chapter 1: Laboratory techniques 1
Glass rod Thermometer Crucible
Heating solids
⚫ For heating a solid which does not give off water during heating.
➢ Hold the test tube horizontally so that the solid spreads out along the bottom of the
tube.
⚫ For heating a solid which gives off water during heating.
➢ Hold the test tube slightly sloping downwards. This prevents the condensed water
from running back and cracking the hot glass.
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⚫ For heating a solid very strongly, heat it in a crucible.
Heating liquids
⚫ Heating a non-flammable liquid in a beaker (direct heating)
⚫ Heating a volatile or flammable liquid using a water bath
➢ Use an oil bath if higher temperature is needed.
⚫ Evaporating a solution using a steam bath
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Collecting gases
⚫ Displacement of water
➢ Used for collecting gases which are
insoluble in water.
➢ The gas collected is wet.
➢ Chlorine, sulphur dioxide and ammonia
cannot be collected in this way because
they are soluble in water.
➢ If the gas collected comes from a heated
vessel, the delivery tube must be removed from water before heating is stopped.
Once heating is stopped, water vapour condenses and the gas inside the vessel
contracts due to a drop of temperature. A partial vacuum is thus created in the
vessel. If the end of the delivery tube had not been removed from water, water
would be sucked back via the delivery tube into the hot vessel. This ‘sucking back
of water’ might crack the hot glass vessel.
⚫ Downward displacement of air
➢ Used in the collection of gases which are less
dense than air.
Example: hydrogen (H2) and ammonia
(NH3)
➢ This method is also called upward delivery.
➢ If the relative molecular mass of a gas is larger
than that of air (28.8), then the gas is denser than
air. On the other hand, if the relative molecular
mass of a gas is lower than that of air (28.8), then the gas is less dense than air.
Upward displacement of air
➢ Used in the collection of gases which are
denser than air.
Example: chlorine (Cl2), sulphur dioxide
(SO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
➢ This method is also called downward delivery.
HKDSE Chemistry Supplementary Knowledge for Chapter 1: Laboratory techniques 4
⚫ Using a gas syringe
➢ Used in the collection of any gas (soluble / insoluble in water, denser / less dense than
air)
Drying substances
⚫ Drying solids and liquids in a desiccator with a drying agent such as anhydrous
calcium chloride or silica gel.
⚫ Drying a gas
➢ Calcium oxide (used in the drying of alkaline gas) and concentrated sulphuric acid
(used in the drying of acidic gas) are used for drying.
Solids can be dried using an oven. (Note: We should not dry hydrated salts with the oven. If we use the
oven to dry the hydrated salts the water of crystallization would be removed.)
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Testing gases
⚫ Using a delivery tube
➢ Example: Production of carbon dioxide from the reaction of limestone and dilute
hydrochloric acid and using limewater to test for presence of carbon dioxide)
➢ If the reaction mixture is being heated, always take out the delivery tube from the testing
solution before removing the flame. This is to prevent sucking back of the solution.
⚫ Using a testing paper
➢ Example of testing paper: moist litmus paper,
use a moist red litmus paper to test for the
presence of ammonia gas by the reaction of
ammonium chloride and sodium hydroxide
solution.
⚫ Using a glass rod
➢ Example: test for the presence of sulphur
dioxide gas with a drop of acidified potassium
dichromate solution.
Gas poisoning
⚫ Many gases (e.g. chlorine, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide) and vapours
(e.g. bromine, mercury, tetrachloromethane, iodine, methanol) are very toxic.
HKDSE Chemistry Supplementary Knowledge for Chapter 1: Laboratory techniques 6
HKCEE 1994 Paper 1
End of Chapter
HKDSE Chemistry Supplementary Knowledge for Chapter 1: Laboratory techniques 7
