Roman - 31-5-2012 at 01:54
Hello, I am new to this website, and I have had a strong interest in chemistry for some time. I was wondering, what are some neccesary starting
supplies that would be of use to me, while fitting into a $300-$800 budget? Like I said, I only need basics to get me started with beginner reactions.
Thanks!
rannyfash - 31-5-2012 at 08:12
pick a reaction you want to do and base it around that, i would advise ground glass organic chemistry set (flask, still head, condenser, reciever) and
various other glassware if you are thinking of organic chemistry
woelen - 31-5-2012 at 10:52
I have seen this question already many times before and for that reason I have written a page about it on my website. Hope it helps you a little
further:
http://woelen.homescience.net/science/chem/misc/homelab.html
Hexavalent - 31-5-2012 at 11:30
I attest to Woelen....please try and do some research before posting.
I'd highly reccomend, though, as ranny says, picking the class of chemistry you'd like to do and base your supplies around that. For most work, I'd
always get some basic stuff - a few erlenmeyers, a few beakers, test tubes, some glass rods and stoppers at the least . . .these can be had fairly
inexpensively. If you have the money, a ground glass setup on top of this would be excellent as the glassware is completely interchangeable and can be
configured for almost any process, from beginner reactions to advanced chemical synthesis. Looked after properly, glass can last you a very long time.
As far as other equipment goes, well - I'd say get a ringstand and clamp (or make your own, they're not hard to build!), a few spatulas - ordinary,
cheap household teaspoons are usually an adequate substitute - and a $20 hotplate from eBay or locally. The Chinese ones are actually pretty well
built most of the time, personally I would HIGHLY recommend this model;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1500W-ELECTRICAL-SINGLE-HOT-PLATE-...
it has lasted me very well throughout my amateur chemist career until it was replaced with a proper lab model earlier this year. If you have an
LPG/Butane/Propane tank handy and a regulator, a Bunsen burner can be used, although it is less favourable than the hotplate. A cheap alcohol lamp is
also very handy - make your own!
The key IMO when you start out, and for the rest of your chemical career, is improvisation. Most of us will use at least one piece of homemade
equipment in our home labs as we either cannot get hold of the proper lab equivalent, it is too expensive or whatever.
Start with the basics, and your lab will grow over time. I am almost certain of it. The same applies for chemicals - look everywhere you can locally
for chemicals - read the numerous threads about them here - and learn their science. Get to grips with simple chemical concepts, notably the simple
reactions, valency, the Periodic Table and ions, before moving on to, say, crunching the numbers with stuff like stoichiometry. From here you can do
syntheses, and your reagent collection will grow even more and you will find yourself buying more equipment to use. Get a few textbooks - maybe even a
few highschool level ones to refresh your memory - and learn the nuts and bolts of chemistry; atom structure, electron movement, the formation of
molecules . . .you name it, it can be learnt. With patience, goals and a willing to learn, you will go very far in chemistry and I wish you the very
best. You are just starting out - enjoy the ride and I wish you good luck in chemistry in your future.
rannyfash - 16-7-2012 at 15:31
as many of you will probably detest me for admitting this but my science teachers allowed me to steal equipment from my school as long as they weren't
expensive or not easily replaceable, after i had simple stuff it gave me the drive to start purchasing more expensive equipment like vacuum pumps
Pyro - 16-7-2012 at 15:50
go for: beakers (50ml-600ml), flasks (100ml, 250 ml and 500 ml), measuring cilinder (100ml, 250ml), simple! distillation apparattus (careful, ground
glass makes your budget skyrocket). a cheap hot plate, stir bars, test tubes,...
of course you can buy smaller things if you prefer working on a small scale
the rest you just buy as you need it
zoombafu - 16-7-2012 at 16:55
Check out my blog post on this:
http://thehomechemist.com/blog/stockinglabglasswareandhardwa...
http://thehomechemist.com/blog/stockinglabchemicals/