What is the use of iron ring apparatus?

Having been in both general Chemistry and Organic Chemistry labs I can only tell you what I've used them for. The Iron Ring apparatus is usually used to suspend a watch glass or glass plate above an open fire to heat chemicals and allow reactions to proceed. You clamp the iron ring on a ring stand (it's got a long pole coming from a base) and place it well above where the bunsen burner sits. A triangular file is good for multiple things. When you need to "break" certain items, such as shortening a stirring rod, you may use the triangular edges to create notches at the places you wish to snap the large pieces into smaller ones. Also, the file is great for dulling sharp edges of glass and for scratching the inside of a beaker to expedite re-crystallization. Tripod is another useful instrument in heating. It, like the Irong Ring, is used to suspend a material or liquid above an open flame. A flame spreader does exactly as its name implies, it spreads an open flame. This is useful for ... more