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What is a China Dish in a Chemistry Lab?

A China Dish, also known as an Evaporating Dish, is a standard piece of equipment found in every school and professional chemistry laboratory.

Question (Click to Flip)

What is a china dish in chemistry?

Answer

A china dish is a shallow porcelain bowl used in chemistry labs primarily for evaporating liquids from solutions.

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Key Facts

Material: Porcelain (heat resistant and chemically inert).

Other Name: Evaporating Dish.

Primary Use: Evaporation of solvents from a solution.

Appearance: Shallow bowl with a small spout/lip.

What is it?

A china dish is a small, shallow, bowl-like container with a small pouring lip. It is made of porcelain (a type of high-quality ceramic, traditionally associated with 'China', hence the name).

Why is Porcelain Used?

Porcelain is used because it is highly heat-resistant (can withstand direct flame or high temperatures on a wire gauze) and is chemically inert (won't react with the chemicals placed inside it).

Main Uses in Chemistry

  1. Evaporation: Its main use is to heat a liquid solution so the solvent (like water) evaporates, leaving the solid residue behind (e.g., evaporating saltwater to get salt).
  2. Crystallization: Used to slowly cool hot, concentrated solutions to form pure crystals (e.g., making copper sulphate crystals).
  3. Drying: Heating damp powders to dry them completely.
  4. Burning/Ashing: Used for burning small amounts of substances to observe their ash or decomposition (e.g., burning magnesium ribbon).

Questions and Answers

What is a china dish in chemistry?+

A china dish is a shallow porcelain bowl used in chemistry labs primarily for evaporating liquids from solutions.

Why is a china dish made of porcelain?+

Porcelain is highly heat-resistant, meaning it can be heated directly over a Bunsen burner without cracking, and it does not react with most chemicals.

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