Calibration of a Burette

Equipment Needed

• Balance
• Funnel
• Distilled Water
• Burette Holder
• Burette
• Waste Water Beaker
• Small Glass Beaker (for recordings)
• Larger Glass Beaker
• Thermometer

Steps for Calibration

1. Preparation

   • Fill the larger beaker with distilled water and insert the thermometer.
   • Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to reach room temperature.
   • Record the temperature from the thermometer.

2. Burette Preparation

   • Rinse the burette with distilled water and let it dry completely.
   • Check that the stopper works and there are no leaks.

3. Filling the Burette

   • Use the funnel to fill the burette with distilled water, ensuring no air holes are present.
   • Fill it past the zero mark, then remove the funnel.
   • Slowly release water until the meniscus sits on the zero mark.
   • Wait for 5 minutes to check for air bubbles and leaks.

4. Mass Recording

   • Place a small glass beaker under the burette and record its mass.
   • After confirming the meniscus is still at zero after 5 minutes, release the water until it reaches the 50 cm³ mark.

5. Final Measurements

   • Record the mass of the beaker and water.
   • Repeat this process three times to gather data for three trials.

Calculations

• Mass of Water

  • Subtract the mass of the empty beaker from the mass of the beaker with water for each trial.
  • Calculate the mean mass of water from the three trials:
    • Mean Mass = (Mass1 + Mass2 + Mass3) / 3
    • Result: Mean Mass of Water = 49.867 grams.

• Volume Calculation

  • Use the equation:
    • Volume = Mass × Z-value
  • Z-value: Conversion factor based on water density at the measured temperature.
  • Since the water temperature was 19°C, Z-value = 1.0027.
  • Volume in Burette = 49.867 grams × 1.0027 = 50.0016 cm³.

Conclusion

• Calibration of the burette is complete with a calculated volume of 50.0016 cm³.