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