Laboratory apparatus are used to conduct experiments, research, and various purposes. Different laboratory apparatuses at chemistry-related labs need to perform the practical experiment easily. There are conical flasks, beakers, test tubes, droppers, watch glass, funnels, graduated cylinders, volumetric flasks, pipettes, burettes, ring stands, thermometers, and much more. It is very important to know the functions and their proper uses before conducting your experiment and dealing with various chemicals.
Common laboratory apparatus
Here in this article, you will get information about the most basic laboratory apparatus with their common uses.
Test Tube
A test tube or simple tube is a transparent cylindrical vessel-type laboratory apparatus used to carry and mix different types of chemicals. The shape of this apparatus is like a finger and has various sizes. The size of the test tube is generally 18 x 150 mm. The bottom of the test tube prevents loss of mass for the absence of corners. The cleaning process of the test tube is very easy to contain the finger-like shape.
The test tubes were used from the beginning of the 19th century. It is used to contain and form various reactions on a small scale. Test tube has various usages in the field of chemistry, bioscience, medicine, and more.
Beaker
It is an important laboratory apparatus used to store and mix the various chemicals. The shape of the beaker is cylindrical with a flat bottom and a lip around the rim. The chemicals can be poured easily into this apparatus. It has various sizes depending on the fields of usage. Beakers are generally made from glass, plastic (such as made from polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE), aluminum, or stainless steel material. The bottom of the beaker is flat in shape.
They are available in different sizes, from milliliter size up to several liters to use these in different fields. Beakers are very important laboratory apparatus for heating, mixing, and storing different types of chemicals.
Pipette
A pipette is an essential laboratory apparatus used to transfer and measure small volumes of liquid. This tool is made from glass or plastic with a bulbous end. The bulb of this apparatus is used to draw liquid up into the tube, and the narrow tip is used to transfer the precise amount of liquids. The shape of this apparatus is thin and tube-like like used to transfer liquids from one container to another.
This tool is used very much in the fields of chemistry, bioscience, and medicine for transferring a measured volume of liquid. There are various designs of this lab apparatus based on their uses.
At present, this tool is found in different types from single-piece glass pipettes to more complex adjustable or electronic pipettes. A partial vacuum above the liquid-holding chamber can be created in many pipettes, and then possible to release the stored vacuum for dispensing the liquid. The accuracy of the measured result depends on the quality of the pipette.
Conical flask or Erlenmeyer flask
This flask has a narrow neck, and a conical body, with a flat bottom. This laboratory apparatus helps to prevent the escape of fumes and vapors from the inside section. It is used very much for mixing, heating, and holding liquids. This flask was invented in 1860 by the German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer.
The tapper body and narrow neck of this flask make it different from the other types of beaker. This beaker is generally made from glass or plastic in a wide range of volumes to use in different fields.
The mouth of the conical flask has a beaded lip that can be stopped or covered. The neck of this flask can be fitted with ground glass or another connector for various specialized purposes.
Graduated Cylinder
It is a common piece of lab apparatus used to measure the volume of different liquids. This glassware has a cylindrical shape with a narrow neck and different sizes. It is generally made from glass or plastic materials. The surface of this cylinder consists of precise measurements marked to measure the liquids correctly.
It consists of an elongated cylindrical vessel, with graduations for showing the volume of liquid. This cylinder is different from the beakers. This cylinder is taller and thinner in size to measure accurately while the beaker contains a relatively small amount of liquids.
This laboratory apparatus is primarily used to measure the liquids and provides good precision and accuracy characteristics.
Desiccator
A desiccator is an important sealed container used in the laboratory to protect the sample from moisture which is hygroscopic in nature or which reacts with water from humidity. It is used to ensure the accuracy of weight measurement matter. This apparatus contains desiccant, such as silica gel or calcium sulfate to absorb the moisture from the air inside the container.
This apparatus should be kept in a controlled environment area to get a better result. The chemicals that react with the air quickly such as alkali metals absorb the moisture, it should not be kept in this apparatus.
This lab apparatus can be used to remove small amounts of water from an almost dry sample at elevated temperatures.
Reagent Bottle
These bottles are known as media bottles and are designed as containers or vessels to store the chemicals in liquid or powder form. There are various sizes and shapes of reagent bottles depending on their applications. This bottle is generally made from glass or plastic materials. Some of these bottles are colored amber (actinic), brown, or red to protect UV light.
Brushes for Test Tubes
It is a common laboratory apparatus cleaning tool. It is used to clean the test tubes, flasks, and beakers. Brushes should be used to clean the lab glassware after conducting the experiment.
Tongs
These are used when handling the hot container. Each tongue is used for a particular purpose. There are various types of tongs like beaker, utility, and crucible tongs.
Wash Bottle
It is a medium size container used to clean and rinse the glassware. This bottle is made from plastic material based on the field of applications. Distilled or deionized water is generally kept in this bottle.
Dropper
It is called a Pasteur pipette. The dropper in the lab is made from glass or plastic material. A pipe with a rubber tip on one end is generally found in this apparatus. The main purpose of using the dropper relates to transferring a small amount of liquids one drop at a time.
Spatula
This laboratory apparatus is like a kitchen spatula which is tiny and contains hand-held instruments for scooping and transferring the solid materials. It is mostly used to transfer the chemicals which are resistant to heat and acid.
Watch Glass
It is a common laboratory apparatus consisting of a concave piece of glass that’s often used to store solid materials, evaporate liquids, and heat very small amounts of substances.
Crucible
It is a small container-type laboratory apparatus generally constructed of porcelain. This apparatus is not suitable for heating purposes because it may be damaged. A cover is put on the crucible body to keep the small particles inside this tool.
Round Bottom Flask
It is a piece of laboratory apparatus that contains a spherical bottom and a cylindrical neck. Heat can be distributed easily around the suitable surface area of this glassware. This lab apparatus is used when uniform heat is needed or boiling of the chemicals.
Round bottom flask is used for various chemical syntheses on a laboratory scale. A mechanical stirrer or glass rod can be used to mix the chemical contents in this apparatus.
Centrifuge Tube
It is a cylindrical vessel-type laboratory apparatus having a cap. This tube can be used in a centrifuge machine for separating different components from solutions. This small tube has curved tips and can be made of glass or plastic. The designs of the tips are varied depending on the fields of applications with various types of solids, bio-molecules, and insoluble substances in the chemical sample.
Capillary Tube
It is an important laboratory apparatus used for calculating the melting point of substances. The inner diameter of this tube ranges from 0.5 mm to 3 mm and lengths range from 1mm to 6 mm. The different sample substance is placed inside this glassware to analyze the melting point.
Test Tube Racks
It consists of one perforated sheet arranged over a plain sheet of plastic or metal to hold the test tube in an upright position. There are also various test tube racks to keep the test tubes in a slanting position. Test tube racks are needed very much to distribute the test tube in the proper way at the laboratory.
Filter Paper
It is a semi-permeable sheet of paper used at a chemistry laboratory for separating solid impurities or components from a liquid solution. This semi-permeable sheet is generally prepared from cellulose. The capillary action of this paper helps to separate the solid impurities from the solution.
Mortar and Pestle
They are commonly used in laboratories to make powder or paste forms of various substances. A mortar and pestle tool is essential to crush and grind ingredients or substances into a thin paste or powder form.
Ring stands
This piece of supporting tool is designed to hold various lab apparatuses like beakers, flasks, burettes, etc. properly. This stand is made from heavy-stamped steel. The base of this supporting tool is made from iron or steel and has a steel rod that is vertically erected. Rings and clamps are screwed properly to the steel rod at desirable heights for keeping the needed apparatus or equipment efficiently.
Condensers
It is a piece of laboratory apparatus made from a big glass tube with a smaller glass tube spanning its whole length. They need to carry out different chemical processes like distillation to refluxing solvents. It can be possible to convert vapors into liquid by using this apparatus in the chemistry lab.
Tripod
A lab tripod is a three-legged platform made from stainless steel or aluminum material. It is designed to be light and easy to carry. The various apparatus containing different chemicals can be heated easily at the time of heating on a Bunsen burner.
Petri dish
It is a transparent shallow-like tube used to carry out various biochemical reactions for general purposes. It is generally made from heat-resistant borosilicate glass to keep the substance safe during heating.
Burette
This important laboratory apparatus is used to measure the volume of a liquid or a gas. It is very essential apparatus in the field of quantitative chemical analysis. It consists of a graduated glass tube with a stopcock at one end. This apparatus is needed very much during titration. A stopcock is attached with its lower ends and a tapered capillary tube is found at the outlet. The flow of liquid from the tube to the burette tip can be controlled by the stopcock valve. There exist two types of burette in the market namely volumetric burette and piston-type burette. The volumetric burette is used to transfer the measured volume of liquid. A precision bore and a plunger are found in piston burettes to measure the weights of a liquid.
Separatory Funnel
A Separatory Funnel is an essential piece of laboratory apparatus to separate the immiscible liquids. It has a stopcock valve at the bottom position. The liquid can be separated through this apparatus based on their densities. The extraction and purification of different chemicals can be possible by using this lab apparatus in an organic chemistry lab.
