Melting-Point Methods and Apparatus

The laboratory practices and apparatus used to determine melting points of solids are discussed in this section, and the theory and use of melting points are described in Section 3.3. The task of determining the melting point of a compound simply involves heating a small amount of a solid and determining the temperature at which it melts. Many different types of heating devices can be used, but most utilize a capillary tube to contain the sample so that only a small amount of the sample is required. 

Stirring is not required. Temperature control is accomplished by adjusting the flame produced by the microburner this may seem difficult at first but can be mastered with practice. 

Thomas-Hoover melting-point apparatus (courtesy of Arthur H. Thomas Company). 

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