Experiment Apparatus Question (Copy)
In the Chemistry ATP (Paper 6), experiment apparatus questions assess your understanding of how to:
- Identify, draw, label, and describe the function of apparatus
- Suggest and evaluate suitable equipment for specific procedures
- Spot errors in apparatus setup
- Choose apparatus that provide accurate, reliable, and safe results
This section provides full detail on how to answer such questions with exam-specific vocabulary, common setups, typical question styles, and correction strategies.
🧪 1. What These Questions Look Like
These are the typical forms of apparatus-related questions in ATP:
| Question Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Label the diagram | “Label apparatus A, B, and C in the setup below.” |
| Choose correct apparatus | “Which piece of equipment is best to measure exactly 25.0 cm³ of acid?” |
| Suggest improvement | “What apparatus change would improve accuracy?” |
| Draw the setup | “Draw a labeled diagram for an experiment to collect oxygen over water.” |
| Identify errors | “What is wrong with this setup for distillation?” |
🔧 2. Core Apparatus You MUST Know and Their Uses
| Apparatus | Use | ATP Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Burette | Delivers variable, accurate volumes | Always vertical, read to 2 d.p. |
| Pipette (25.0 cm³) | Transfers fixed volume of liquid | Use with pipette filler |
| Conical flask | Reaction container, easy swirling | Used in titration |
| Beaker | Holding and mixing solutions | Not for accurate measurements |
| Measuring cylinder | Approximate volume measurement | Not as precise as pipette or burette |
| Evaporating basin | Heating solution to dryness | Used in crystallisation |
| Funnel | Used in filtration | Sits in neck of flask or beaker |
| Filter paper | Separates solids from liquids | Shown folded into a cone |
| Test tube | Small-scale reactions | Label contents if multiple used |
| Boiling tube | Heating larger volumes than test tubes | Thicker glass |
| Delivery tube | Transfers gases | Must be sealed airtight |
| Gas jar | Collecting gases | Open top, vertical |
| Trough | Filled with water for gas collection | For displacement method |
| Liebig condenser | Cools vapor into liquid | Water in at bottom, out at top |
| Clamp + stand | Holds burette, flask, condenser | Always included in titration/distillation |
| Tripod + gauze | Supports containers over Bunsen | Used in heating setups |
| Thermometer | Measures temperature | Bulb must be placed correctly (e.g. at neck in distillation) |
| Watch glass | Holding small amounts of solids | Also used for crystallisation on cooling |
📐 3. Tips for Drawing and Labeling Apparatus
✅ Always:
- Use a sharp HB pencil
- Draw single, clear lines (no sketching)
- Label all essential parts using horizontal lines and ruler
- Make diagrams large and proportional (at least ½ page)
- Label what’s visible — e.g., don’t label gas if it’s not shown
🚫 Never:
- Use ink or colored pencil
- Add unnecessary artistic detail (e.g., flame patterns, shadows)
- Forget key components (e.g., water direction in condenser)
📘 4. Common Practical Setups & Essential Apparatus
A. Filtration
Use: Separate insoluble solid from liquid
Apparatus: Funnel, filter paper, conical flask/beaker, mixture
Key Labels:
- Filter paper (folded cone)
- Residue (on paper)
- Filtrate (in flask)
- Funnel
B. Crystallisation
Use: Separate dissolved solute by forming crystals
Apparatus: Evaporating dish, tripod, gauze, Bunsen burner
Key Labels:
- Solution
- Crystals form on cooling
- Evaporating dish on gauze and tripod
C. Gas Collection (Over Water)
Use: Collect gases that are insoluble or slightly soluble
Apparatus: Delivery tube, water trough, inverted gas jar/measuring cylinder
Key Labels:
- Gas jar filled with water
- Delivery tube
- Trough with water
- Gas (e.g., oxygen)
D. Titration
Use: Determine concentration of unknown acid/alkali
Apparatus: Burette, pipette + filler, conical flask, white tile, indicator
Key Labels:
- Burette with acid/alkali
- Pipette with fixed volume solution
- Conical flask with indicator
- White tile
E. Simple Distillation
Use: Separate solvent from solution
Apparatus: Round-bottom flask, thermometer, condenser, beaker
Key Labels:
- Thermometer at vapor exit
- Cold water in (bottom), out (top)
- Condenser (horizontal)
- Distillate
- Heat source
F. Paper Chromatography
Use: Separate mixture of inks or dyes
Apparatus: Beaker, chromatography paper, solvent
Key Labels:
- Solvent level below ink spots
- Origin line in pencil
- Solvent front
- Spots of dye
⚠️ 5. Common Mistakes in Apparatus Questions
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| No labels on key parts (e.g., thermometer bulb, filter paper) | Always label essential components |
| Thermometer bulb not placed in vapor path | It must be at the exit of the flask neck (not dangling in air) |
| Water flow in condenser not shown or reversed | Always label: water in at bottom, out at top |
| Flame drawn too close to test tube or flask side | Always heat the base of containers |
| Missing stopper for gas collection | Reaction flask must be sealed properly for gas transfer |
| Burette drawn slanted | Must be vertical and clamped |
| Pipette filler missing | Pipettes must not be used by mouth – always draw filler |
🧠 6. Tips to Score Full Marks
- Practice drawing setups from memory, then compare to textbook/past paper versions.
- Use standard scientific labels:
- “Dilute sulfuric acid”, not “acid”
- “Manganese dioxide (catalyst)”, not “black powder”
- Revise common pairs of reagents and setups (e.g., crystallisation → Bunsen + dish)
- Time yourself: Draw full labeled diagram in under 5 minutes