Lab Equipment

Beaker

• hold solids or liquids that will not release gases when reacted or are unlikely to splatter if stirred or heated.

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Flasks

Erlenmeyer Flask

• hold solids or liquids that may release gases during a reaction or that are likely to splatter if stirred or heated.

Florence Flask

• Rarely used in first year chemistry, it is used for the mixing of chemicals.
• Narrow neck prevents splash exposure.

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Graduated Cylinder

• used to measure volumes of liquids

Gas Collecting Bottle

• when large volumes of gases are produced, and must be collected by the displacement of water

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Test Tubes

• Holds liquids for observation or testing
• biggest is ignition tube

Test Tube Holder

• useful for holding a test tube which is too hot to handle.

Test Tube Brushes

• used to clean test tubes and graduated cylinders
• Forcing a large brush into a small test tube will often break the tube

Test Tube Racks

• for holding and organizing test tubes on the laboratory counter
• Plastic racks may melt in contact with very hot test tubes.

Rubber Stoppers

• used to close containers to avoid spillage or contamination.
• Containers should never be heated when there is a stopper in place.

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Spot Plates

• used when we want to perform many small scale reactions at one time.
• We will use these many times during the year.

Watch Glass

• hold a small amount of solid, such as the product of a reaction

Glass Stir Rod

• manually stir solutions.
• It can also be used to transfer a single drop of a solution.

Medicine Dropper

• used to transfer a small volume of liquid (less than one mL).

Rubber Bulb

• top of each medicine dropper

Litmus Paper

• Red litmus paper is used to identify bases.
• Blue litmus paper is used to identify acids.

Funnel

• aid in the transfer of liquid from one vessel to another.

Forceps (or tweezers)

• used to pick up small objects.

Mohr Pipet

• measures and delivers exact volumes of liquids

Wash Bottle

• has a spout that delivers a wash solution to a specific area.
• Distilled water is the only liquid that should be used in a wash bottle.

Weighing Boat

• used to weigh solids that will be transferred to another vessel.

Spatulas

• are used to dispense solid chemicals from their containers
• Chemicals should never be transferred with your bare hands.

Beaker Tongs

• used to move beakers containing hot liquids

Bunsen Burner

• used for the heating of nonvolatile liquids and solids.

Evaporating Dish

• used for the heating of stable solid compounds and elements.

Crucible

• used for heating certain solids, particularly metals, to very high temperatures.

Clay Triangle

• used as a support for porcelain crucibles when being heated over a Bunsen burner.

Crucible Tongs

• For handling hot crucibles; also used to pick up other hot objects.
• NOT to be used for picking up beakers!

Glass Plates

• provide a surface for semi-micro scale experiments, such as drop reactions and testing of acids and bases.

Triangular File

• used primarily to cut glass rod, a skill that your instructor will share with you when it becomes useful.

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Ringstands

• a safe and convenient way to perform reactions that require heating using a Bunsen burner.

Iron Rings

• connect to a ringstand and provide a stable, elevated platform for the reaction.

Utility Clamps

• used to secure test tubes, distillation columns, and burets to the ringstand.

Double Buret Clamps

• used to hold burets

Burets

• long graduated tubes used in titration.

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Wire Gauze

• sits on the iron ring to provide a place to stand a beaker.
• On older wire gauze, the white material is asbestos!

Pressed Fiber Pad

• A 4" x 4" square of ceramic fiber
• it provides a surface for hot beakers so that the beaker does not come in contact with a cold countertop and shatter.

Strikers

• used to light Bunsen burners
• The flints on strikers are expensive. Do not operate the striker repeatedly just to see the sparks!

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