Leibig Condenser

Liebig condensers are made of glass and consist of two main parts: a straight cylindrical tube surrounded by an enclosed glass jacket with two side arms at either end of the jacket on opposite sides.

All condensers (in general, not just Liebig-type) are used to cool gases to a point where they will liquefy, or condense, back into their liquid form, so that they may be collected in a separate container. Most commonly, condensers will be used in conjunction with a distilling flask or similar piece of glassware. The substance being condensed travels through the central cylindrical tube. The outer jacket is filled with a continuous flow of cool water from the lab sink. The water comes in through the sidearm at the bottom end of the flask, and exits out of the sidearm at the top of the flask.