Science Equipment and
Apparatus
Graduated Cylinder
Plastic bumper
to prevent
cylinder from
breaking if it is
tipped over.
A graduated container
used to accurately
measure the volume
of liquids.
Hot Plate
A device used as a heat source.
Erlenmeyer Flask
A container used for the storing, mixing, and heating of
chemicals. Its narrow neck makes it convenient for swirling
liquids by hand and its shape makes the flask very stable.
Beaker
A container used to hold, mix, heat, and
pour liquid or powdered chemicals.
Electronic Balance
A device used to measure
the mass of an object.
Thermometer
A device that
measures the
temperature of a
substance.
Ring Stand
A structure that is
used to hold or clamp
laboratory glassware
and other equipment
in place, so that it
does not fall down or
come apart.
Iron Support Ring
Used in chemistry labs to stabilize
flasks mounted to a ring stand and
support them over the work area.
Wire Gauze
It is used to support a container (such as a
beaker or flask) during heating. Glassware
should not be heated with a direct flame. Wire
gauze, when placed between glassware and a
heat source, diffuses the heat making it safer
than a direct flame.
Hot Plate Stirrer
A device that has two functions:
1) is a source of heat,
2) is used to stir liquids.
Funnel
Used to transfer liquids from
one contain to another
without spilling, or when
used with filter paper, to
separate solids from liquids.
Triple-Beam Balance
Used for measuring the mass of an object.
Utility Clamp
A spring-loaded open-jaw
clamp that can be tightened
down to hold something
securely in place.
Test Tube
Used to hold, mix, or heat small
quantities of solid or liquid chemicals.
Test Tube Holder
A tool used to hold hot test tubes.
Laboratory Burner
A device that burns a flammable
gas and is used as a heat source.
Flint Striker
A tool used to light laboratory
burners by creating sparks.
Test Tube Rack
A structure used to hold test tubes.
Beaker Tong
A tool used to hold hot beakers.
Spatulas and Scoopula
A small implement used to mix,
spread, and lift chemical substances.
Forceps
Used to manipulate small objects.
Wash Bottle
Usually filled with
distilled water and is
used for diluting
solutions, washing
precipitates, and
rinsing glassware.
Triangular File
Used to score (scratch)
glass tubing so that the
tubing can be easily
snapped into two pieces.
Rubber Stoppers
Glass tubing can be
inserted into the holes.
Beral Pipette
Also known as a
micropipette.
Evaporating Dish
Usually made of porcelain, it is
commonly used to gradually
evaporate solvents in a sample.
It may be placed directly on a
hot plate or over a flame.
Watch Glass
The watch glass is used to evaporate a
liquid, to hold solids while being weighed,
or as a cover for a beaker. It is not
advisable to subject the glass to a direct
heat source, like a hot plate or flame.
Mortar (bowl) & Pestle (grinding rod)
The pestle is used to grind large pieces
of material into smaller pieces.
Graduated Pipette
Pipets are usually
about 10 cm long and
are used to precisely
measure small
amounts of liquid.
Crucible Tongs
Crucible tongs are
used to manipulate
crucibles and other
hot materials.
Metric Ruler
The metric ruler
has graduations
marked out in
millimeters and
centimeters.
Buret
A long graduated
tube used to
dispense precise
and small amounts
of liquid. Most
often they are used
to determine the
concentration of a
substance using a
process called
titration.
The stopcock
allows liquids to
be dispensed.
Hose Clamp
Also known as a pinch
clamp and is used to
close off a hose.
Florence Flask
This type of flask is used to
heat substances that need
to be heated evenly. The
round shape allows the
heat to distribute through
the liquid more uniformly.
Glass Stirrer
This is called a rubber policeman.
Its function is to prevent the glass
stirring rod from “clinking” on
glass containers, which can result
in cracks.
Microplate
Microplates are used to mix small amounts of
chemicals. The plates are made of clear plastic
to make it easier to observe reactions. Each of
the 24 “pockets” shown are called wells.
Triangle
The triangle is placed
on an iron ring and its
function is to hold a
crucible.
Buret Clamp
The clamp is
used to hold
burets securely.
This clamp can
hold two burets,
one on each side.
Crucible with Lid
Made out of porcelain material, it is
used to heat chemical compounds
to very high temperature.
Wing top
This piece fits on top of a
laboratory burner and its
function is to spread the
flame over a wider area.
For the first quiz on equipment,
you do not need to know the
names of the equipment which
follows this slide.
Separating Funnel
A device used to
separate two liquids
that form layers
because they are
immiscible (do not
dissolve in one
another).
Volumetric Flask
The function of this flask is
to accurately measure out
a large quantity of liquid.
Side-arm Flask
Also known as a filter
flask, it is used to quickly
filter precipitates from a
liquid. The flask is used
in combination with a
Buchner funnel and
operates by vacuum (or
suction).
Buchner Funnel
Used for the vacuum
filtration of precipitates
from a liquid. It is used
in combination with a
filter flask and rubber
Buchner adapter (seal).
Rubber Buchner adapter
Volumetric Pipette
Used with a rubber
bulb, it allows for
extremely accurate
measurement of a
liquid volume.
Pipette Pump or Filler
A device that allows
the user one-handed
control of the uptake
and dispensing of
liquids through an
inserted pipette. The
pipette inserts into the
base of the pump.
Pipette inserts here.
Distillation Condenser
Cold water out
Hot vapors
enter here
Its purpose is to cool hot
vapors, condensing them into
liquid for separate collection.
Cold water in
Cool condensate
exits here
Vacuum Filtration
This apparatus
uses a vacuum
(suction) to
quickly filter and
dry precipitates.
Precipitates are
solids that settle
out of a solution.
Hot Bath Apparatus
An apparatus that is used
to heat substances in test
tubes to temperatures at
or below the boiling point
of water.
Fast Evaporation Apparatus
An apparatus for
quickly evaporating
solvents.
Filtering Apparatus
An apparatus for the
gravitational filtration
of precipitates and
solids from liquids.
Slow Evaporation Apparatus
An apparatus for the
evaporation of
solvents with
temperatures at or
below the boiling
point of water.
Separating Funnel Apparatus
An apparatus used to
separate two liquids
that do not dissolve
(are immiscible) in
one another, and
thus forms layers.
Distillation Apparatus
An apparatus used to separate a liquid from a liquid
mixture by heating it to its boiling point and then
condensing the resulting vapors into a container.