Laboratory Equipment and Skills:
Recognizing Lab Equipment
In the chemistry laboratory, you will be using equipment, handling materials, and performing
certain unfamiliar tasks. The purpose of this section is to introduce you to the equipment and
to describe some of their uses that you will need to be familiar with in this laboratory course.
There will be a quiz given online that will be based on prior knowledge and this reference
sheet.
DESCRIPTION
EQUIPMENT
vertical metal rod
heavy base
USE
support for rings,
clamps or other lab
equipment
DESCRIPTION
glass
has specified volume
etched line
Support device for
beakers, flasks, or
other lab equipment
container
less evaporation than
beaker
can be heated
ERLENMEYER FLASK
container
may be used like cup
can be heated
glass
rounded sides
indicated volume
BEAKER
vertical glass
hollow cylinder
Increment markings
Preparation of solutions
Precision volume
measurements
glass
top is smaller than
base
indicated volume
IRON RING
open mouth container
straight sides
specific volumes are
marked on container
USE
VOLUMETRIC FLASK
RING STAND
iron ring
screw fastener
variety of diameters
EQUIPMENT
container
can be heated
FLORENCE FLASK
makes precision volume measurements
metal clamp
flexible clips
holds 2
holds burets when
conducting volumetric
experiments
BURET CLAMP
GRADUATED CYLINDER
pouring liquids into
buret or flask
holding filter paper
glass or plastic
FUNNEL
metal clamp
screw fastener
holds test tubes or
other equipment
plastic or ceramic
many small bowls
WELL PLATE
wire screen
has ceramic disk to
dissipate heat
TEST TUBE CLAMP
TEST TUBE
wire grid or
made of plastic/wood
Holds test tubes in
upright position
triangular wire frame
with clay
insulators
allows for test tubes
to be transferred or
moved without touchTEST TUBE HOLDER ing with hands
supports items being
heated on ring stand
CLAY TRIANGLE
holds small amounts
of liquids.
can be heated
ceramic dish
TEST TUBE RACK
thick metal wire
spring handle
spread heat of flame
cooling heated container
WIRE GAUZE
container
glass versions can be
heated
glass or plastic
variety of diameters
holds liquids in
micro experiments
EVAPORATING DISH
metal
pick up and hold
beakers
TONGS
DESCRIPTION
EQUIPMENT
metal and ceramic
highly delicate
USE
DESCRIPTION
most accurate method to determine mass
requires experience to
use
squeezable plastic
bottle with angular tip
TRIPLE BEAM BALANCE
holds water,
plastic
gas collection bottles,
at least a foot deep
and gas collection
tubes
EQUIPMENT
dispenses distilled
water
WASH BOTTLE
pick up or hold small
objects
metal tweezers
PNEUMATIC TROUGH
designed to pour liquids into burets
glass
funnel shape
FORCEPS
curved glass
BURET FUNNEL
metal file
used to etch glass
used for filing
TRIANGLE FILE
seals flasks and
bottles
rubber
STOPPERS
allows small samples
to be heated to extreme temperatures
porcelain jar with lid
CRUCIBILE AND LID
brush with wire handle
used for cleaning lab
equipment
WATCH GLASS
metal clamp with
finger grips
to stir liquids without
transfer of heat
glass rod
GLASS
STIRRING
ROD
made of metal or
porcelain
clamps together rubber hoses
PINCH CLAMP
glass tip with rubber
bulb
transfer small
amounts of liquid
DROPPER
metal heating device
connected to gas outlet without gas control valve
Produces medium
heat flame, the standard lab burner
metal heating device
connected to gas outlet with gas control
valve
used in pouring liquids
transfer solid chemicals for weighing
produces very highheat flame
much hotter than
BUNSEN BURNER
TIRRILL BURNER
metal gas vent burner
with broad flame
catcher
SPATULA
used to collect
and measure
volumes of
gas from
experiments
can cover beakers
used in evaporating
small amounts of liquid
BUNSEN BURNER
TEST TUBE BRUSH
glass
marked with
inverted mL
scale
USE
GAS
COLLECTION
TUBE
THEROMETER
glass with alcohol or
mercury inside
MEKER BURNER
plastic coating
heavy porcelain
dish with
grinder
measures temperature of gas or liquid
samples
used to grind
solid chemicals MORTAR
to a powder
AND PESTLE
BURET
produces very large
high heat flame
bigger flame than
TIRRIL BUNER
hotter flame than
BUNSEN BURNER
glass
marked with inverted
mL scale
has stopcock to control
flow
used for precision volume measurements