COMMON LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

NAME Description and/or use Picture

Glass container, most are pyrex; common
sizes are 100 ml, 25 ml, 400 ml; it can be used
BEAKER
as a container, shows approximate volume,
and may be heated
A metal heating device connected to a gas
outlet with rubber tubing; used to heat
BUNSEN
chemicals in beakers or test tubes; has
BURNER
adjustable air-hole allowing some control of
temperature

It is marked with a milliliter scale and fitted

with a stopcock; can be used to withdraw and
BURETTE
measure accurate volumes of solutions in
titrations

Metal with rubber ends; used to handle hot

BEAKER TONGS
beakers

CHEMICAL Chemical resistant rubberized apron used to

APRON protect clothing

Made of porcelain; used to heat small amounts

CRUCIBLE &
of solid substances that are being heated
COVER
strongly at high temperatures

CRUCIBLE Metal utility tongs used for hot crucibles;

TONGS spring-like jaws with a jaw opening

Glass tip with a rubber bulb; used to transfer

DROPPER
small amounts of liquids

ELECTRONIC
Used for quick, accurate massing
BALANCE
 Container; common sizes are 125 ml, 250 ml,
ERLENMEYER 500 ml; may be heated; it has a thin neck and a
FLASK wide base; used to hold liquids when carrying
out reactions and preparing solutions

Porcelain dish; used to hold a solution whose

EVAPORATING
solvent is being separated from the solvent by
DISH
evaporation (often using heat)

Used to hold liquids when carrying out

FLORENCE
reactions (no heat use flat-bottomed; even
FLASK
heating required use round-bottomed)

Metal or plastic, straight-tipped instrument

FORCEPS
used to isolate and remove small particles

Made of glass or plastic; used to hold a filter

FUNNEL paper and can be used in pouring (to avoid
spills)

GOGGLES Used to protect eyes

GRADUATED Marked with milliliter (ml) scale and is used to

CYLINDER measure volume

HEAT
Used to handle hot glassware or other hot lab
RESISTANT
equipment
GLOVES
 Heavy porcelain dish with grinder; used to
MORTAR &
grind chemicals to a powder
PESTLE

PIPESTEM
TRIANGLE Triangular wire frame with clay material
(CLAY coverings; used to support a crucible
TRIANGLE)

PIPETTE Used to transfer small amounts of liquid

PLASTIC WASH Squeezable plastic bottle; used to dispense

BOTTLE distilled water

Iron ring with screw fastener; comes in several

RING CLAMP
sizes; used to fasten to the ring stand as a
(IRON RING)
support for an apparatus

RING STAND
Metal rod that is upright and sits on a heavy
(SUPPORT
base; used as a support and has many uses
STAND)

RUBBER Used to cap the openings of glassware such as

STOPPER test tubes or Erlenmeyer flasks

Made of metal; used to transfer solid

SCOOPULA
chemicals
Made of metal; has a flat rounded end and a
SPATULA rectangular end; used to transfer solid
chemicals

Plastic or ceramic reaction surfaces with slight

SPOT PLATES “dips” for containing small amounts of
chemicals

Made of glass; used to stir combinations of

STIRRING ROD
materials
 Made of metal and has a flint; used to ignite
STRIKER
the Bunsen burner

Glassware that comes in many sizes; it has

TEST TUBE
many uses and can be heated

TEST TUBE Brush with wire handle; used to scrub thin

BRUSH glassware

Metal clamp with a screw fastener, a swivel

TEST TUBE and lock nut, an adjusting screw, and a curved
CLAMP clamp; used to hold an apparatus (test tube or
burette) to the ring stand

TEST TUBE Made of metal; has a clamp with a spring

HOLDER handle; used to hold a test tube

TEST TUBE May be made of wood, metal, or plastic; used

RACK to hold test tubes in an upright position

Made of glass and filled with a red or blue

THERMOMETER liquid (usually alcohol); used to determine
temperature

TRIPLE BEAM Used for determining the mass, in grams, of a

BALANCE chemical or object

Used when mixing accurate concentrations of

VOLUMETRIC
solutions. Each flask has a volume marking
FLASK
which is very exact and can be stoppered.
 Curved glass; may be used as a beaker cover
WATCH GLASS or for evaporating very small amounts of
liquid

Small plate with several wells; used for

WELL PLATE
reacting small amounts of chemicals

Wire screen with ceramic fibered center; used

WIRE GAUZE
to spread the heat of a flame