A Person in a Lab Coat Setting Up or Checking a Reflux Reaction (Updated two months ago)
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A person in a lab coat probably setting up or checking a reflux reaction, which involves: Heating a chemical mixture to boiling and vapors rising into the condenser, cooling and dripping back down into the flask. This allows a reaction to occur over a long period without loss of solvent. There are some people in lab coats behind them.
Tags: faculty, staff, and administration , historic technology
Added to SFSU Over the Years on July 31, 2026.
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Information
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Identifier:
TP-ATA-1850
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Context:
<p><strong>The Apparatus includes (Top to Bottom)</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li data-start="246" data-end="438">
<p data-start="249" data-end="270">Reflux Condenser:</p>
<ul data-start="274" data-end="438">
<li data-start="274" data-end="371">
<p data-start="276" data-end="371">The tall vertical tube at the top with side arms connected to rubber tubing (for water in/out).</p>
</li>
<li data-start="375" data-end="438">
<p data-start="377" data-end="438">Cools rising vapors back into liquid, sending them back down.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li data-start="440" data-end="570">
<p data-start="443" data-end="494">Distillation Adapter / Claisen Head (possibly):</p>
<ul data-start="498" data-end="570">
<li data-start="498" data-end="570">
<p data-start="500" data-end="570">The connecting piece between the condenser and the round-bottom flask.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li data-start="572" data-end="698">
<p data-start="575" data-end="598">Round-bottom Flask:</p>
<ul data-start="602" data-end="698">
<ul data-start="602" data-end="698">
<li data-start="602" data-end="633">
<p data-start="604" data-end="633">Holding the reaction mixture.</p>
</li>
<li data-start="637" data-end="698">
<p data-start="639" data-end="698">Heated from below, often on a hot plate (not visible here)</p>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p data-start="1029" data-end="1094">This is a fundamental process in <strong data-start="1062" data-end="1083">organic chemistry</strong>, used for:</p>
<ul data-start="602" data-end="698">
<li data-start="1095" data-end="1147">
<p data-start="1097" data-end="1147"><strong data-start="1097" data-end="1123">Synthesis of compounds</strong> (e.g., esters, amides).</p>
</li>
<li data-start="1148" data-end="1199">
<p data-start="1150" data-end="1199"><strong data-start="1150" data-end="1184">Purification or transformation</strong> of substances.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Credits:</strong> </p>
<p>Some technical descriptions and historical interpretations were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p>
<p> </p>
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Geographic Coverage:
San Francisco, CA
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Type:
Still Image
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Format:
Negative
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Source:
San Francisco State University Archives
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Rights:
Public
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