i got a glass tube that is in the form of a Z. Does anone know what they are used for?

Maybe for collecting gas from test tube to capsized flask that floats on water tank.

oh ya that makes sense

i have no clue dude.

how big is it? and does it have those bevviled glass bits at either end, for attachment to more bits of interestingly shaped glass aparatus?

 

failing that, does it have any stains/odours that might sujjest what it has been used for before?

i will check those, but even better, i will probably post a pic of it soon like tommorow, so u can see for ur self.

Be cautious when working with 'used' glass tubing. You'd be amazed how much 'junk' can be absorbed into the glass. In high school we used some very old glass tubing that was perfectly clear and looked clean, but upon heating the glass it began to turn brown and emit a red-brown vapor. Apparently, the tubing was used in the past for bromine synthesis and the bromine had leached into the glass and remained embedded there until we heated it up. (That was the day where I discovered that bromine reeks like a skunk that took a bath in bleach. )

the only Z shaped glass tube apparatus I`ve encountered has been for use as an airlock.

 

it requires a small amount of water in one of the bends, that way gas is allowed to escape but no air can enter, often used in fermentations.

Yeh, a gas collector, mabey for hydrogen, helium, or some gay oxygen expierement.. The companies rarely mess up that badly

heres what it loooks like:

id agree with YT - and judging by the poor-looking quality of the bends id guess that this was actually made for fermentation (ie, beer making) rather than by a sciense-ware company. (also the bends are too wide - the amount of water needed to fill them would shoot out of the tube in any reaction that creates gas much faster then an alcohol fermentation).

makes sense

I too think now that YT is right. Or maybe someone just exercised basic glasswork. You still can use this for gas collecting although longer center part would be better.