What Is a Burette and How to Use It for Titration

Posted: July 15, 2026

If you have ever needed to find the exact concentration of an acid or a base, you have needed a burette. It is the instrument that turns “about right” into a precise number. Control the flow drop by drop with a burette and you capture the exact endpoint with confidence.

This guide explains what a burette is, the parts and types you will come across, and exactly how to use a burette for titration — step by step. It is written for students, lab technicians and QC teams across the UAE who want accurate, repeatable results.

A burette is a long, graduated glass tube with a stopcock (tap) at the bottom that releases liquid in controlled amounts. Because it lets you dispense and measure at the same time, it sits at the heart of analytical chemistry — from school practicals to pharmaceutical and water-testing laboratories.

What is a burette used for?

A burette’s main job is titration — a method for finding the unknown concentration of a solution. You slowly add a solution of known concentration (the titrant) from the burette into a measured volume of the unknown solution (the analyte) until a chemical reaction is complete. The volume you dispensed tells you how much titrant reacted, and from that you calculate the concentration.

Common uses include acid–base titrations, redox titrations, water-hardness and chlorine testing, and quality-control checks in food, beverage and pharmaceutical labs.

Parts of a burette

• Graduated tube — the main barrel, marked in millilitres (a standard burette reads to 50 ml with 0.1 ml graduations).
• Stopcock (tap) — the flow control at the base. Modern burettes use a PTFE (Teflon) stopcock that needs no grease and resists chemicals; classic glass-key stopcocks use a light film of grease.
• Tip (jet) — the narrow nozzle where the drop forms.
• Meniscus — the curved surface of the liquid you read against the scale.
• Schellbach stripe (on some burettes) — a blue line on a white band that sharpens the meniscus reading.

Types of burettes

Choose the type based on the accuracy you need and how often you titrate.

• Glass burettes — the most common. Excellent visibility and chemical resistance, ideal for most titration work, available in Class A (certified) and Class B (routine use).
• Plastic burettes — lighter and durable (often polypropylene); best matched to compatible chemicals.
• Digital / bottle-top burettes — mount on a reagent bottle and dispense by a dial; fast and repeatable for routine dosing.
• Automatic / motorised burettes — used with autotitrators for high-throughput or regulated labs, with results on a digital display.

For analytical accuracy, a Class A glass burette remains the benchmark.

How to use a burette for titration: step by step

1. Clean and condition. Wash the burette, rinse with distilled water, then rinse with a little of the titrant. This keeps your titrant at full strength for an accurate result.
2. Mount it vertically. Clamp the burette to a stand and keep it vertical for clear, parallax-free readings.
3. Fill above zero. Pour in the titrant until the level is just above the 0.00 ml mark. If you used a funnel, remove it now so your reading stays accurate.
4. Clear the tip. Open the stopcock briefly to let titrant fill the tip and release any trapped air.
5. Take the initial reading. Lower your eye to the level of the liquid and read the bottom of the meniscus. Record to the first decimal and estimate the second (e.g. 0.05 ml).
6. Prepare the analyte. Pipette a measured volume of the unknown into a clean conical flask and add a few drops of a suitable indicator (for example, phenolphthalein for acid–base work).
7. Titrate slowly. Open the stopcock to add titrant drop by drop while swirling the flask. As you near the endpoint, slow to one drop at a time.
8. Stop at the endpoint. The endpoint is where the indicator changes colour permanently (a faint, lasting pink with phenolphthalein). Close the stopcock.
9. Take the final reading the same way, at the bottom of the meniscus.
10. Calculate. The titre is the difference between final and initial readings. Repeat until results agree (within about 0.10 ml), then use the average.

Endpoint vs equivalence point

These two terms are closely related. The equivalence point is the exact moment the moles of titrant equal the moles of analyte — the true chemistry. The endpoint is what you observe, usually an indicator colour change. A well-chosen indicator brings the endpoint as close as possible to the equivalence point, which is why indicator choice matters.

Best practices for accurate titration

• Read the bottom of the meniscus at eye level.
• Clear any air from the tip before you begin.
• Condition the burette with the titrant first.
• Add titrant slowly as you approach the endpoint.
• Remove the filling funnel before taking a reading.
• Keep the burette vertical for a parallax-free view.

How to care for and store a burette

Rinse with distilled water after every use; for reactive titrants, follow with a suitable solvent. Store the burette vertically in a dry, dust-free place to protect the delicate tip. Have Class A burettes recalibrated periodically, especially in audited or regulated labs, so they keep delivering certified volumes.

About the author

This guide was prepared by the technical team at Hydra Scientific & Chemicals Trading LLC, an ISO 9001:2015 certified supplier of laboratory instruments, equipment and glassware in the UAE. The team supports titration and analytical set-ups for food and beverage, water-testing, life-science and education laboratories across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a burette used for?

A burette dispenses precise, controlled volumes of liquid, mainly for titration — adding a known solution to an unknown one drop by drop to find its concentration. It is also used for accurate dosing in analytical chemistry.

What are the main parts of a burette?

A graduated glass tube, a stopcock (usually PTFE) to control flow, a tip where drops form, and the meniscus you read against the scale. Some burettes add a Schellbach stripe to make readings easier.

How do you read a burette correctly?

Lower your eye to the liquid level and read the bottom of the meniscus, recording to the first decimal and estimating the second. Reading at eye level keeps the result parallax-free.

What is the difference between a Class A and Class B burette?

A Class A burette is made to tighter tolerances and is certified for precise, regulated work; a Class B burette has wider tolerances and suits teaching and routine titrations.

What is the difference between the endpoint and the equivalence point?

The equivalence point is the exact moment titrant and analyte are chemically balanced; the endpoint is the observed indicator colour change used to signal it. A good indicator keeps them close.

Where can I buy a burette in the UAE?

Hydra Scientific supplies Class A glass burettes and other titration glassware across the UAE. View the burettes range or contact the team for a quote.