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

  • Identifier: TP-ATA-1850
  • Context: <p><strong>The Apparatus includes (Top to Bottom)</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Credits:</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Some technical descriptions and historical interpretations were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>
  • Geographic Coverage: San Francisco, CA
  • Type: Still Image
  • Format: Negative
  • Source: San Francisco State University Archives
  • Rights: Public

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