Heating on a tripod

Beakers, conical flasks and evaporating basins of liquid can be heated directly on a tripod and gauze. A more gentle way of heating is to use a water bath. This limits the temperature to 100°C and reduces the risk of fire if the liquid is flammable. We also use a tripod and gauze when heating Quickfit apparatus with a Bunsen burner. The gauze spreads the heat, limiting hot spots in the flask being heated and encouraging smooth boiling.

Always heat with a blue flame. If it is boiling too vigorously you can always turn it down at the gas tap. The bench surface should always be protected using a heat-proof mat. These are sometimes called asbestos mats by mistake. The use of asbestos has been discontinued because of the health risks associated with its dust.