Chemistry for Engineers: Common Laboratory Glassware, Equipment, and Scientific Method

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering laboratory glassware, equipment, techniques, handling of reagents and balances, and the scientific method from the Chemistry for Engineers lecture notes.

Beakers

Useful as a reaction container or to hold liquid or solid samples, and used to catch liquids from titrations and filtrates from filtering operations.

Bunsen Burners

Sources of heat that connect to a gas outlet.

Burets

Glassware used for the addition of a precise volume of liquid (which can be determined to the nearest $0.01\,\text{mL}$ with practice) and commonly used in titrations.

Clay Triangles

Placed on a ring attached to a ring stand to serve as a support for a funnel, crucible, or evaporating dish.

Droppers

Used for the addition of liquids drop by drop.

Erlenmeyer Flasks

Glassware useful to contain reactions or to hold liquid samples, as well as to catch filtrates.

Glass Funnels

Used for funneling liquids from one container to another, or for filtering when equipped with filter paper.

Graduated Cylinders

Glassware used for the measurement of an amount of liquid, where the volume can be estimated to the nearest $0.1\,\text{mL}$ with practice.

Hot Plates

Used as sources of heat and as an alternative to Bunsen burners when an open flame is not desirable.

Pipets

Glassware used to dispense small quantities of liquids.

Ring stand with Rings

Apparatus used for holding pieces of glassware in place.

Test Tubes

Glassware used for holding small samples or for containing micro and macro reactions.

Test tube holders

Tools used for holding test tubes when the tubes should not be touched.

Tongs

Tools similar in function to forceps that are useful for handling larger items.

Volumetric Flasks

Glassware used to measure precise volumes of liquid or to make precise dilutions.

Wash bottles

Containers used for dispensing small quantities of distilled water.

Watch glasses

Glass items used for holding small samples or for covering beakers or evaporating dishes.

Wire Gauze

Placed on a ring to support beakers that are to be heated by Bunsen burners.

Balances

Laboratory equipment used to determine the mass of a reagent or object.

Spectrophotometers

Instruments used to measure the absorbance or transmittance of a liquid sample.

Fume Hoods

Enclosures used to ventilate noxious or harmful gases.

Meniscus

The curve formed at the surface of a liquid in a small-diameter container, which usually curves downward to a minimum at the center.

TARE button or bar

A button or bar located at the front of a balance used to zero the reading; holding it down causes the balance to change units.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation of observations that acts as a guide for gathering and checking information.

Laws of science

Statements that summarize a vast number of experimental observations and describe or predict some facet of the natural world.

Scientific theories

Well-substantiated, comprehensive, testable explanations of particular aspects of nature that can be modified if new data become available.

Scientific method

The path of discovery that leads from question and observation to law or hypothesis to theory, combined with experimental verification of the hypothesis and any necessary modification of the theory.