Laboratory Equipment and Their Uses in Chemistry

Tongs

Used to pick up and hold hot glassware, such as crucibles or beakers.

Ring Stand

A heavy metal base with a vertical rod used as a support structure for clamps and rings.

Utility Clamp

Attaches to a ring stand to hold test tubes, flasks, or burets securely in place.

Iron Ring

Fastens to a ring stand to support wire gauze or funnels during heating or filtration.

Beaker

A wide-mouthed glass container with a spout, used for mixing, stirring, and heating liquids.

Thermometer

Measures temperature in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Ruler

Measures the physical dimensions (length, width, height) of solid objects.

Balance

An electronic or triple-beam scale used to measure the mass of a substance.

Test Tube Brush

A long, narrow wire brush with bristles used to clean inside test tubes.

Stirring Rods

Glass rods used to mix chemicals and liquids manually without reacting with them.

Tweezers (Forceps)

Used to pick up and manipulate small items or solid chemical pieces.

Watch Glass

A curved glass dish used to hold small samples, evaporate liquids, or cover a beaker.

Mortar and Pestle

Used to crush, grind, and powder solid substances into fine particles.

Scoopula

A spade-like metal tool used to transfer solid chemicals from containers.

Wire Gauze

A flat metal mesh placed on an iron ring to support glassware over a Bunsen burner flame.

Graduated Cylinder

A tall, narrow vessel marked with volume lines used to make precise liquid volume measurements.

Pipette

Used to measure and transfer precise volumes of liquid from one container to another.

Dropper

A small glass or plastic tube with a rubber bulb used to transfer tiny, unmeasured quantities of liquid.

Erlenmeyer Flask

A flat-bottomed flask with a narrow neck, ideal for swirling liquids without splashing.

Rubber Stopper

Fits into the tops of test tubes or flasks to seal them or prevent spills.

Evaporating Dish

A small porcelain bowl used to evaporate solvents from a solution leaving a solid residue.

Bunsen Burner

Produces an open gas flame used for heating, sterilization, and combustion.

Hot Plate

An electrical heating element used to heat liquids in glassware safely without an open flame.

Wash Bottle

A squeezable bottle filled with distilled water, used to rinse equipment or solid precipitates.

Buret

A long, graduated glass tube with a stopcock at the bottom, used to dispense precise liquid volumes in titrations.

Funnel

A cone-shaped vessel used to transfer liquids into narrow openings or hold filter paper during filtration.

Test Tube

A small, cylindrical glass tube used to hold, mix, or heat small quantities of liquid or solid chemicals.

Test Tube Clamp

A spring-loaded metal tool used to hold a single test tube by hand, especially when hot.

Test Tube Rack

A wooden, plastic, or metal stand designed to hold multiple test tubes upright simultaneously.