Common Laboratory Apparatus and Their Functions

Common Laboratory Apparatus and their Functions Apparatus Name Function Beaker is a simple container for stirring, mixing and heating liquids commonly used in many laboratories. Beakers are generally cylindrical in shape, with a flat bottom. Most also have a small spout (or "beak") to aid pouring as shown in the picture. Beaker Erlenmeyer flasks are used to contain liquids and for mixing, heating, cooling, incubation, filtration, storage, and other liquid-handling processes. Their slanted sides and narrow necks allow the contents to be mixed by swirling without the risk of spills, which is useful for titrations and for boiling liquids. Erlenmeyer Flasks Test Tube Test Tube is a thin glass tube closed at one end, used to hold small amounts of material for laboratory testing or experiments. The test tube is one of the most commonly used pieces of laboratory ware. Test tubes are widely used by chemists to hold, mix, or heat small quantities of solid or liquid chemicals, especially for qualitative experiments and assays. Glass Rod Burette Glass Rod, Stirring Rod or Stir Rod is a piece of laboratory equipment used to mix chemicals and liquids for laboratory purposes. They are usually made of solid glass, about the thickness and slightly longer than a drinking straw, with rounded ends. Burette is a device used in analytical chemistry for the dispensing of variable, measured amounts of a chemical solution. A volumetric burette delivers measured volumes of liquid. Piston burettes are similar to syringes, but with precision bore and plunger. Piston burettes may be manually operated or may be motorized. A weight burette delivers measured weights of liquid. Graduated Cylinder, Measuring Cylinder or Mixing Cylinder is a common piece of laboratory equipment used to measure the volume of a liquid. It has a narrow cylindrical shape. Each marked line on the graduated cylinder represents the amount of liquid that has been measured. Graduated Cylinder Pipette or Dropper is a laboratory tool commonly used in chemistry, biology and medicine to transport a measured volume of liquid, often as a media dispenser Pipette Volumetric Flask is a piece of laboratory glassware, a type of laboratory flask, calibrated to contain a precise volume at a particular temperature. Volumetric flasks are used for precise dilutions and preparation of standard solutions. These flasks are usually pear-shaped, with a flat bottom, and made of glass or plastic. Volumetric Flask Crucible Crucible is a container that can withstand very high temperatures and is used for metal, glass, and pigment production as well as a number of modern laboratory processes. While crucibles historically were usually made from clay, they can be made from any material that withstands temperatures high enough to melt or otherwise alter its contents. Evaporating Dish Evaporating Dish is a piece of laboratory glassware used for the evaporation of solutions and supernatant liquids, and sometimes to their melting point. Evaporating dishes are used to evaporate excess solvents - most commonly water - to produce a concentrated solution or a solid precipitate of the dissolved substance Mortar and Pestle is a device used since ancient times to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste or powder Mortar and Pestle Reagent Bottles Reagent Bottles, also known as media bottles or graduated bottles, are containers made of glass, plastic, borosilicate or related substances, and topped by special caps or stoppers and are intended to contain chemicals in liquid or powder form for laboratories and stored in cabinets or on shelves. Funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening. Funnel Watch Glass is a circular concave piece of glass used in chemistry as a surface to evaporate a liquid, to hold solids while being weighed, as a cover for a beaker, and for heating a small amount of substance. Watch Glass Clay Triangle is a piece of laboratory equipment used in the process of heating substances by a Bunsen burner (e.g. to support a crucible when it’s being heated). Clay Triangle Crucible Tongs are tools that can be used in either a laboratory setting or an industrial setting. In both cases, the tongs are used to safely move a piece of equipment called a crucible that contains potentially dangerous materials that must be handled very carefully. Crucible Tongs Iron Clamp Iron Clamp is an item of laboratory equipment which comprises a conjoined metal ring and radially-extending rod. In some cases, the rod terminates in a screw clamp for attachment to a retort stand or other support; in others, the rod may be attached to a stand by means of a laboratory clamp holder. Iron rings are commonly used in chemistry laboratories for supporting apparatus above the work surface. Laboratory Spatulas are utensils that help with mixing, scraping, and other tasks related to transferring materials and samples from one place to another. Spatula Test Tube Rack Test Tube Rack is a laboratory equipment that is used to hold upright multiple test tubes at the same time. It is most commonly used when various different solutions are needed to work with simultaneously, for safety reasons, for safe storage of test tubes, and to ease the transport of multiple tubes. Test tube racks also ease the organizing of test tubes and provide support for the test tubes being worked with Wire Gauze Wire Gauze is a sheet of thin metal that has netlike patterns or a wire mesh. Wire gauze is placed on the support ring that is attached to the retort stand between the Bunsen burner and the glassware to support the beakers, flasks, or other glassware during heating. Ring Stand is used to support laboratory equipment above the work surface Ring Stand Test Tube Brush is the clean test tubes used in a science laboratory. They consist of twisted wire handles connected to bristles that are made of Nylon or a similar material such as Tynex. Test Tube Brush Tripod is an object with three feet welded to a superior frame (generally circular or as a triangle). The tripod is used in a laboratory to support various laboratory glassware, ceramic ware, equipment, etc. Tripod Wash Bottle is a squeeze bottle with a nozzle, used to rinse various pieces of laboratory glassware, such as test tubes and round bottom flasks Wash Bottle Thermometer is a device that measures temperature or a temperature gradient. Thermometer Test Tube Holder can be made from wood or metal. It is used for holding a test tube in place when the tube is hot or should not be touched. For example, a test tube holder can be used to hold a test tube while it is being heated. Moreover, when heating the tube with liquid or solid contained inside, the tube holder ought to tightly hold a test tube in order for the tube to be safely held while heating. Test Tube Holder Alcohol Burner is a piece of laboratory equipment used to produce an open flame. It can be made from either aluminum or glass. Alcohol Burner Bunsen Burner is a common piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame, which is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion. The gas can be natural gas (which is mainly methane) or a liquefied petroleum gas, such as propane, butane, or a mixture of both. Bunsen Burner Platform Balance is a device that measures the weight of an object using a platform or solid base in conjunction with a series of levers and balances that together calculate the overall mass. These tools are most commonly used to weigh objects that are very heavy, bulky, or awkward. Platform Balance Triple Beam Balance is used to measure masses very precisely; the reading error is 0.05 gram. With the pan empty, move the three sliders on the three beams to their leftmost positions, so that the balance reads zero. Triple Beam Balance