Tag: Glass
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Flame Test
A flame test is relatively quick test for the presence of some elements in a sample. The technique is archaic and of questionable reliability, but once was a component of qualitative inorganic analysis. The phenomenon is related to pyrotechnics and atomic emission spectroscopy. The color of the flames is understood through the principles of atomic electron transition and photoemission, where varying elements require distinct energy levels (photons)…
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Thistle tubes, thistle feeders, distelfinks and goldfinches
A thistle tube is a piece of laboratory glassware consisting of a shaft of tube, with a reservoir and funnel-like section at the top. Thistle tubes are typically used by chemists to add liquid to an existing system or apparatus. Thistle funnels are used to add small volumes of liquids to an exact position. Thistle funnels are found with or without taps. Since they’re…
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The Devil’s Cocktail: A Tale of Glass, Flint, and Royal Curiosity
Picture this: It’s the 1740s, and the Royal Society – that illustrious club of powdered wigs and curious minds – is all abuzz about a devilish little contraption from Bologna, Italy. These aren’t your grandma’s pickle jars, oh no! These are Bologna bottles, also known as Bologna phials or philosophical vials, and they’re about to…