A laboratory is a building or special room specifically designed for conducting experiments, research, and practical demonstrations related to chemical principles and reactions. It is equipped with various equipment (or apparatus) and chemicals necessary for carrying out experiments safely and effectively.
Most laboratory apparatuses that are used as containers or reaction vessels are made with transparent glass or plastic. This is to allow correct observation during a reaction or measurement, for instance, to determine the level of liquids held in there. Glass and plastic also don’t react with most of the reagents used in the laboratory.
Most Common Categories of Laboratory Apparatus
- Apparatus for Heating: Heating sources in the laboratory are needed to facilitate chemical reactions, evaporate liquids, sterilize equipment, melt solids, dry samples, and perform various other essential tasks. The most common apparatus used for heating in the laboratory are the Bunsen burner, hot plates, and spirit lamp.
- Apparatus for Measuring Temperature: Temperature is usually measured with thermometers. The most common types of thermometers in chemistry laboratories are maximum and minimum thermometers, clinical thermometers, and general-purpose thermometers.
- Apparatus for Measuring Mass: Mass is measured using weighing balances. The most common types of weighing balances in chemistry laboratories include beam balances, electronic balances, and top balances.
- Apparatus for Measuring Volume: Apparatus used for measuring volumes of liquids include graduated beakers, graduated conical flasks, measuring cylinders, volumetric flasks, syringes, pipettes, and burettes. Each apparatus is designed for its specific use and may come in various sizes. Graduated beakers, graduated conical flasks, and measuring cylinders are used to measure approximate volumes of liquids. When fairly accurate volumes are required, volumetric flasks, syringes, pipettes, and burettes are used.
Names and Uses of Various Laboratory Apparatus
Let’s now focus on specific laboratory apparatus and their uses. There are many laboratory apparatuses that you will find in modern chemistry laboratories but here is a list of the most common:
1. Test-tube
Used for general laboratory experiments
2. Trough
Used for holding water for experiments, especially when collecting gas over water
3. Tongs
Used to safety hold corrosive or hot solids
4. Round-Bottomed Flask
Used when heating liquid substances because heat is supplied uniformly so that the flask doesn’t crack as it expands
5. Flat-Bottomed Flask
Used for general laboratory experiments
6. Conical Flask
Used for general laboratory experiments and for measuring approximate volumes of liquids
7. Filter Funnel
Used for delivering liquids carefully into vessels
8. Dropping Funnel
Used to add controlled amounts of liquids into reaction funnels
9. Separating Funnel
Used for separating immiscible liquids
10. Thistle Funnel
Used for delivering liquid substances in reaction vessels
11. Gas Jar
Used for gas collection
12. Evaporating dish
Used when evaporating liquids
13. Wash Bottle
Used to hold water for rinsing vessels and for adding water to vessels with narrow necks
14. Reagent Bottle
Used for storing bench reagents
15. Spatula
Used for scooping solid substances from containers
16. Pipette
Used to deliver a specified volume of liquid accurately
17. Burette
Used for delivering accurate volumes of liquids
18. Volumetric Flask
Used for preparing a specified volume of solution
19. Teat Pipette (Dropper)
Used for delivering liquids drop-wise
20. Crucible
Used when heating solid substances that require strong heating
21. Desiccator
Used for drying or keeping substances free from moisture
22. Pipe-clay triangle
Used for supporting crucibles during heating
23. Bunsen Burner
Source of heat in the laboratory
24. Tripod Stand
Used for supporting beakers and flasks during heating
25. Wire Gauze
Used for even distribution of heat when heating substances in beakers or flasks
26. Mortar and Pestle
Used for crushing substances
27. Deflagrating spoon
Used for holding substances being burned in gas jars
28. Test-tube rack
Used for holding boiling tubes and test-tubes
29. Clamp and stand
Used for holding and supporting pieces of apparatus during experiments
30. Watch glass
Used as a surface to evaporate a liquid, as a cover for a beaker, to hold solids while being weighed, and for heating a small amount of substances.
31. Spotting Tile
Used to observe color changes in micro quantities of liquids
32. Schlenk flask
Used to handle air-sensitive reagents without exposing them to oxygen or moisture
33. Beaker
Used for mixing, heating, storing, and measuring liquids, and for general laboratory tasks.
34. Displacement Beaker
Used to collect and measure the volume of gas evolved during a chemical reaction.
35. Büchner funnel
Used for vacuum filtration
36. Liebig condenser
Used to cool and condense vapors, typically during distillation processes.
37. Fractionating column
Used during distillation to provide surface area over which vapor condenses before passing into the Liebig condenser.
38. Distillation flask
Used to hold the liquid/mixture being distilled.
39. Distillation head
Used to connect the distillation flask to the condenser in a distillation setup.
40. Graduated cylinder
Used to measure volumes of liquids accurately.
41. Stirring rod
Used for stirring solutions and suspensions.
42. Hot plate
Used to heat solutions and substances in the laboratory.
43. Weighing balance
Used to measure the mass of substances accurately.
44. Stopwatch
Used to measure the duration of time intervals in experiments.
45. Thermometer
Used to measure the temperature of substances or solutions.
46. Filter paper
Used to separate solids from liquids through filtration.
47. Magnetic Stir Bar
Used to stir solutions in sealed containers (without the need to open the containers)
48. Lab Vials
Used to hold or store small quantities of laboratory samples.
49. Thiele tube
Used for determining melting and boiling points of substances accurately.
50. Cuvettes
Used to hold samples in spectrophotometry for analysis of light absorption/transmission.
51. Gas syringe
Used to measure the volume of gases produced or consumed in a reaction.
52. Tweezers
Used to handle small objects with precision.
53. Goggles
Used for eye protection against chemical splashes, debris, or other hazards.
54. Rubber tube
Used to transfer liquids or gases between apparatus.
55. pH meter
Used to measure the acidity or basicity of a solution.
56. Microscope
Used to examine small samples of substances (crystals, cells, bacteria etc)
57. Centrifuge Machine
Used to separate components in a mixture based on density through rapid spinning.
This list of laboratory apparatus should serve as a useful starting point for any beginner chemistry student and researcher. However, it’s important to note that the list isn’t exhaustive. Depending on the specific experiments or research being conducted, you may encounter numerous other specialized apparatus.
