Lab Equipment

Visuals and Uses

The Right tool for the job!

Laboratory glassware

Laboratory glassware
Laboratory glassware is a variety of equipment, made of
glass, used for scientific experiments in chemistry and
biology.
Some of the equipment is now made of plastic for cost
and convenience reasons, but glass is still used,
because it is relatively inert and transparent.
Borosilicate glasses such as Pyrex are often used
because they are resistant to heat and chemical
substances.
Most laboratory glassware is now mass-produced, but
most large laboratories employ a glass blower to
construct specialized pieces.

Laboratory glassware
Laboratory glassware includes
Test tubes, flasks, beakers, Petri dishes, watch
glasses, graduated cylinders, pipets, burets,
funnels

Flasks
Erlenmeyer, volumetric, filtering, boiling, titrating

Boiling flasks
Borosilicate boiling flasks are highly resistant to
breakage due to heating or chemical attack. A flat
bottom boiling flask should be put on a wire
mesh, when we heat it, a round bottom one
needs a clamp and a holder.

Laboratory glassware
Volumetric flasks
Volumetric flasks are used
in analytical chemistry to
produce accurate solutions

Burets
Glass burets have a variety
of applications and are
used mainly where
accurate amounts of liquid
must be added in small
amounts

Filtering flask
Funnels
Buchner funnel

Laboratory glassware
Separatory funnel

Beakers
We use borosilicate
beakers for routine mixing,
measuring and boiling

Graduated cylinders
Graduated cylinders are
used for measurements of
small volumes of liquid
that cannot be done with
beakers and flasks.

Laboratory glassware
Pipets
are ideal for measuring
small volumes of solutions
(for doing chemical
titrations)

Test tubes
Test tubes are among the
most common of
requirements for lab
supplies.

Watch glasses
Watch glasses are used to
hold solutions for viewing
under a microscope or to
dissolve materials such as
crystals and powders.

Beakers
Beakers are used
for holding various
chemicals.
Not for measuring
precisely.
Sizes vary.

Beaker
A wide-mouthed container
used to transport, heat, and
store substances.
Can be used to measure
liquid volume only if
measurements do not need
to be precise.
Always read from eye level.

Liquid
volume is
measured
in mL

Notice that there are two scales on

the beaker! Use the one that zero is
at the bottom (right) if you are
measuring the liquid.

Graduated Cylinder
Used to precisely
measure the volume
of liquids or run
experiments.
Read from the
meniscus at eye level.
Plastic ring always on
top if applicable.
Sizes vary.

Erlenmeyer Flask
Used to
approximately
measure the
volume various
liquids.
Useful for mixing
by swirling
Sizes vary.

Florence Flask
Used to boil
liquids.
Also used to collect
gases, if
applicable.
Sizes vary.

Volumetric Flask
Used to prepare
precise standard
solutions.
They are only good
for 1 specific
volume.
Comes in many
sizes

Reagent Bottle
Used to store,
transport, or view
reagents such as
acids or bases.

Rubber Stoppers
Used to close flasks
and test tubes.
The holes allow the
insertion of glass
tubing, probes, or
thermometers as
needed by the
experiment.

Test Tubes and Rack

Used to hold
chemicals/tubes while
experimenting.
Not for measuring
precisely.
Waft!
Aim away from faces.
Sizes vary.
Label tubes.

Distillation Flask
Used to separate
liquids based on
boiling point.

Buret and Buret Clamp

Used for precisely
measuring
dispensed liquids
Holds buret to ring
stand.

Double buret clamp

Buret

Single buret clamp

Ring Stand and Ring Clamps

Base/Pole of
set-up for
experimenting.
Holds glassware in
place for heating or
evaporating.

Test Tube Brushes

Cleaning.
You must clean
tubes before and
after you use.

Test Tube Holder

Used for carrying
or holding hot test
tubes.

Thermometer
Measuring
temperature.
Use metric!!

Hot Plate
Used to heat
substances.

Bunsen Burner
Used to heat
substances quickly
or if > 400oC is
needed.
Do not use with
flammable
substances.

Rubber Tubing
Used for a variety
of things.
Example:
Connecting Bunsen
burner to gas valve
stem.
Connecting glass
tubing together.

Wire Mesh or Gauze

Used to absorb
and spread the
heat of flame.
Keeps glassware
from cracking and
breaking.
Part of ring stand
set-up.

Clay Triangle
Used to hold a
crucible in place on
a ring stand.
Also helps absorb
and spread heat of
flame.
Part of ring stand
set-up.

Crucible and Cover

Used for heating
substances.
Can withstand high
direct heat.

Crucible Tongs
Used to carry
crucible.

Beaker Tongs
Used to carry
beakers.

Mortar and Pestle

Used to grind
substances into
powder or slurry.

Scoopula
Used to scoop
chemical powders.
Not a measuring
instrument.
Ours do not have
handles.

Stirring Rods
Used to stir
substances.
Clean in between
uses.

Striker
Used to ignite gas
from a Bunsen
burner.
Do not waste flint.

Watch Glass
Used to show
chemical reactions.

Evaporating Dish
Used to
evaporate
excess liquids.

Centrifuge
Used to separate
suspensions
(solids from
liquids).

Meter Stick
Used to precisely
measure length.
1m = 10dm
1m = 100cm
1m = 1000mm

Funnel
Used to safely
transfer
substances from
one container to
another.

Dropper and Bottle

Used to measure
out small amounts
of liquids for
experiments.

Wash Bottle
Usually contains
deionized water.
Handy for rinsing
glassware and for
dispensing small
amounts of dH2O
for chemical
reactions.

Goggles and Apron

Used to protect
your eyes and
clothing from
damage.
These are a must
in lab!!

Inoculating or Flame Loop

Used to collect
samples from
colonies (ex. Bacteria)
Also used to test
the spectra of
chemicals.

Digital Balance
Used to accurately
measure mass.
Only up to 200g in
our labs.

Triple Beam Balance

Measures the
mass of an object.
Make certain the
balance is
calibrated correctly
before use.

Double Pan Balance

Used to compare
the masses of two
substances.

Centigram Balance
Used to precisely
measure the mass
of a substance.
More precise than
the triple beam
balance.

Pipet, Pump, and Bulb

Used to precisely
measure the
volume of liquids in
small amounts.

Berol Pipet
Disposable pipets
used to transfer
small amounts of
chemicals.
Graduated pipets
can precisely
measure small
amounts of
chemicals.

Capillary Tubes
Used to collect
liquid through the
process of capillary
action.