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Nipple (plumbing)

Nipple (plumbing) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nipple (plumbing) rather than just read about it. In short: In plumbing and piping, a nipple is a fitting, consisting of a short piece of pipe, usually provided with a male pipe thread at each end, for connecting two other fittings. The length of the nipple is usually specified by the overall length with thread.

Nipple (plumbing) — main illustration
Nipple (plumbing) — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Nipple (plumbing) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Nipple (plumbing) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Nipple (plumbing) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In plumbing and piping, a nipple is a fitting, consisting of a short piece of pipe, usually provided with a male pipe thread at each end, for connecting two other fittings. The length of the nipple is usually specified by the overall length with thread. It may have a hexagonal section in the center for a wrench to grasp (sometimes referred to as a "hex nipple"), or it may simply be made from a short piece of pipe (sometimes referred to as a "barrel nipple" or "pipe nipple"). A "close nipple" has no unthreaded area; when screwed tightly between two female fittings, very little of the nipple remains exposed. A close nipple can only be unscrewed by gripping one threaded end with a pipe wrench which will damage the threads and necessitate replacing the nipple, or by using a specialty tool known as a nipple wrench (or known as an internal pipe wrench) which grips the inside of the pipe, leaving the threads undamaged. When the ends are of two different sizes it is called a reducer or unequal nipple. Threads used on nipples are BSP, BSPT, NPT, NPSM and Metric.

Chase nipple A chase nipple is a short pipe fitting, which creates a path for wires between two electrical boxes. A chase nipple has male threads on one end only. The other end is a hexagon. The chase nipple passes through the knockouts of two boxes, and is secured by an internally threaded ring called a lock nut. Chase-Shawmut Company, of Boston, is the company which first produced chase nipples.

See also Coupling (piping) Piping and plumbing fitting Street elbow

References

Further reading ASTM A733-03 Standard Specification for Welded and Seamless Carbon Steel and Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipe Nipples. ASTM B687-99(2005)e1 Standard Specification for Brass, Copper, and Chromium-Plated Pipe Nipples. ASME B1.20.7 Hose Coupling Screw Threads, Inch. (Quote: The normal sequence of connections, in relation to the direction of flow, is from an externally threaded nipple into an internally threaded coupling)

External links Chase Nipple : Bushed Nipple. Electricians Library. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 – via YouTube". Shows a 2-inch chase nipple.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)

Illustrations

Nipple (plumbing): Nipple
Nipple

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nipple (plumbing)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nipple (plumbing) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nipple (plumbing) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nipple (plumbing) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nipple (plumbing)

In research
Nipple (plumbing) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Nipple (plumbing) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Nipple (plumbing) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Piping, Plumbing, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Nipple (plumbing) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Nipple (plumbing) in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Nipple (plumbing) means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Nipple (plumbing) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nipple (plumbing) in simple terms?

In plumbing and piping, a nipple is a fitting, consisting of a short piece of pipe, usually provided with a male pipe thread at each end, for connecting two other fittings. The length of the nipple is usually specified by the overall length with thread.

Why does Nipple (plumbing) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nipple (plumbing)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nipple (plumbing).

Tags

  • Piping
  • Plumbing

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