Bell jar

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This article is about the laboratory equipment. For the novel by Sylvia Plath, see The Bell Jar.

A bell jar is a piece of laboratory glassware similar in shape to a bell. A bell jar is placed on a base which is vented to a hose fitting, which can be connected via a hose to a vacuum pump. By pumping the air out of the bell jar, a vacuum is formed.

Bell jars are generally used for classroom demonstrations or by hobbyists, when only a relatively low-quality vacuum is required. Cutting-edge research that needs an ultra high vacuum requires a more sophisticated form of vacuum chamber.

An example classroom science experiment involving a bell jar is to place a ringing alarm clock under the bell jar. As the air is pumped out of the sealed bell jar, the noise of the alarm clock fades, thus demonstrating that the propagation of sound is mediated by the air. Deprived of its medium, the sound cannot travel.