Edward J. Spanierl La Salle College Philadelphia 41, Pennsylvonio
A Rapid Method for Loading Mercury Manometers
Frequently in the course of laboratory instruction in general chemistry it is necessary to fill a large number of mercury manometers. They can be safely and rapidly filled using the device illustrated heIOU,. A 250-ml side-arm flask is stoppered and a glass tuhe is led ahout halfway down the inside of the flask. The side arm is then connected to a water pump and the manometer to the flask using rubber tubing. Mercury is placed in a Gin. test tube or other vessel. The end of the inclined manometer is immersed in t,he mercury which is t,hen permitted to advance up the tube to point A . Any deviation from this will give a longer or shorter column; t,rial and error can determine the hest point to withdraw the manometer. When the column reaches point B, the vacuum is removed either by compressing the tuhe or better by slipping the tube off of the ma-
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nometer using the thumb. However, this will require some practice. The side-arm flask should be placed on a lower level than the working area so t,hat any mercury drawn int,o t,he ruhber tubing will flow immediately iuto the flask.
RUBBER TUBE
I
TO VACUUM
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Volume 37, Number 5, Moy 7960
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