Common Laboratory Equipment and Safety

Vocabulary flashcards identifying common laboratory equipment, their exact definitions, and physical characteristics based on the lecture material.

Laboratory Equipment

Various tools, instruments, and devices used in scientific laboratories to carry out experiments, measurements, and other research activities.

Graduated Cylinder

A tall, narrow container with markings that provides a more precise measurement than beakers or flasks, often used when accuracy is critical.

Burette

A device used for titration processes that measures the precise volume of a liquid added to a solution.

Pipette

A tool that transfers and measures small volumes of liquid, coming in various types designed for specific levels of accuracy.

Thermometer

A device that measures temperature, typically containing a liquid that expands and contracts with temperature changes.

Bunsen Burner

A small, adjustable gas burner that produces a single open flame, commonly used in labs for heating, sterilization, and combustion purposes.

Alcohol Lamp

A laboratory burner used for heating, sterilization, and combustion that uses ethyl alcohol or spirit as a fuel.

Hot Air Oven

Essential laboratory equipment that uses dry heat (hot air) to sterilize laboratory objects and samples.

Hot Plate

An electrically powered device with a flat surface that heats substances placed on top, used for gentle heating.

Beaker

A cylindrical container with a wide mouth and flat bottom, often featuring a lip for easy pouring.

Magnetic Stirrer

A device that uses a rotating magnetic field to spin a stir bar placed in liquid, mixing it without manual stirring.

Test Tubes

Small glass tubes used to hold, mix, or heat small quantities of liquid or solid chemicals, often used in qualitative experiments.

Erlenmeyer flask

Glassware with a broad, flat base and a conical body tapering upward into a cylindrical neck, used for mixing by swirling without risk of spilling.

Volumetric flask

Precision laboratory glassware featuring a pear-shaped body, flat bottom, and long narrow neck marked with a single calibration line, used to prepare solutions with exact, known concentrations.

Stirring rod

A thin, solid piece of borosilicate glass or plastic, measuring $10$ to $40\text{ cm}$ long with fire-polished rounded ends, used to mix chemicals and liquids.

Microscope

An optical instrument that magnifies small objects or organisms to allow observation of details invisible to the naked eye.

Petri Dish

A shallow, circular dish made of glass or plastic, often used to culture microorganisms and study bacterial colonies or fungi.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument that measures the amount of light absorbed by a sample at different wavelengths.

pH Meter

An instrument used to measure hydrogen ion activity in solutions to determine acidity or alkalinity.

Test Tube Rack

A stand used to hold multiple test tubes upright, preventing spills and helping organize samples during experiments.

Tongs

Long, scissor-like tools used to grip and lift hot or hazardous objects directly.

Retort Stand

A stand used to attach clamps that hold test tubes and other equipment for titration, distillation, and filtering.

Tripod

A three-legged platform typically made of stainless steel or aluminum, used to support flasks and beakers.

Reagent bottle

A specialized container made of heavy-duty borosilicate glass or plastic used to safely store, mix, or transport liquid and powder chemicals.

Rubber stopper

A small, tapered cone-shaped plug used to seal openings in flasks, test tubes, and bottles to prevent liquids and gases from escaping or entering.

Test Tube brushes

Brushes used for cleaning test tubes and narrow-mouth laboratory glassware, such as graduated cylinders and burettes.

Wire mesh

A thin sheet of metal net featuring a ceramic fiber or asbestos-free center, placed on a tripod or ring to safely support and heat glassware.

Mortar and Pestle

A pair of simple tools used to crush and grind solid ingredients into powders or pastes.

Scoopula

A tool with a semi-circular cross-section and one pointed end, used to transfer powders, crystals, and solid chemicals.

Watch glass

A circular, concave piece of glass named after old pocket watch covers, used to show chemical reactions.

Funnel

A cone-shaped tool with a wide top and narrow tube at the bottom, used to safely transfer substances and pour liquids or powders into small openings.

Wash bottle

A flexible plastic squeeze bottle with a nozzle used to dispense a precise, fine stream of liquid, usually containing deionized water.

ANSI Z87.1 Goggles

Personal protective equipment used to shield the eyes from chemical splashes, flying glass shards, biological hazards, and harmful radiation.

Inoculating loop

A simple lab tool with a long handle and small wire loop at the end, used to pick up and move tiny amounts of germs onto a growth plate.

Capillary tubes

Very thin, narrow pipes made of glass, metal, or plastic that move liquids up or down using surface tension via capillary action.