Definition

Noun: 1. A laboratory instrument for precise liquid measurement and delivery: A burette is a long, graduated glass tube with a stopcock (a tap or valve) at its lower end. It is used to dispense a liquid, typically a reagent in a chemical reaction, in small, accurately measured volumes. Its primary use is in analytical chemistry for titration.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The chemist carefully filled the burette with the sodium hydroxide solution.
  • To determine the concentration of the acid, you need to read the meniscus on the burette.
  • The precision of a titration depends heavily on the accuracy of the burette.

Advanced Usage

• "To read a burette": To accurately determine the volume of liquid in the tube by observing the bottom of the liquid's meniscus (the curved surface) at eye level with the graduation marks.
  • Always ensure you read the burette at eye level to avoid parallax error.
• "Burette clamp": A specialized clamp, often attached to a stand, used to hold a burette securely in a vertical position.
  • Secure the burette in the burette clamp before beginning the titration.

Variants and Related Words

• Buret (noun): An alternative, primarily American English, spelling of "burette".
• Burette stand (noun phrase): A stand, usually made of metal, designed to hold one or more burettes.
• Stopcock (noun): The valve at the bottom of a burette that controls the flow of liquid.

Synonyms

• Measuring cylinder (though this typically lacks a stopcock and is for general measurement, not precise dispensing).
• Pipette (another precision liquid handling tool, but it is designed to transfer a fixed or variable volume by suction, not by gravity flow from a tap).

Related Phrases / Contexts

• "Titration apparatus": The collective equipment for a titration, which always includes a burette as a key component.
  • She set up the titration apparatus, checking that the burette was clean and the stopcock moved freely.
• "Deliver from a burette": The act of letting liquid flow out of the burette in a controlled manner.
  • You should deliver the titrant from the burette slowly as you approach the endpoint.

Noun

1. measuring instrument consisting of a graduated glass tube with a tap at the bottom; used for titration