Q. How is a spirit lamp refilled?

Answer

Refills for the spirit lamp are often an alcohol such as ethanol. As far back as we can trace the history of chemistry, we can find evidence of alcohol lamps. One is also included with nearly every kid-friendly chemistry kit, and if it isn't, instructions on how to make one are given. Despite its longevity, most alcohol lamps are not used correctly, leading to flooding of the fuel and the risk of fire from flaming corks and other combustible debris, as well as corrosion of the metal elements. Also, the flame on most store-bought alcohol lamps needs to be adjusted down in size to accommodate the lower scale of microchemical glassware and techniques before they can be used in a microscopy lab.