Lab equipment names and functions

goggles

Protects your beautiful eyes from chemical splashes, Must be worn during all labs, from start to lab checkout, in which chemicals, glass or heating of substances is involved. No exceptions!!

spot plate

a flat plate with multiple "wells" in which chemical reactions can occur

microscope

magnifies microscopic objects for better viewing

balance

measures an object's mass in grams

glass dropper pipette or disposable plastic pipette

measures out drops of liquids, We use both glass and disposable plastic ones in class

pipette

measures small volumes of liquids accurately,

thermometer

measures temperature ( in degrees Celsius)

hand lens/magnifying glass

provides an enlarged view of an object - but you don't want to aim it at the sun!

glass slide

provides the surface a specimen may be placed on to be viewed under a microscope

striker

rubbing the metal ends together creates sparks that are used to light bunsen burners

petri dish

shallow dish used to culture bacteria or other microorganisms

T pins/ dissecting pins

shaped like the letter "T" these pins securely hold down a specimen being dissected. They are nasty sharp!!

scalpel

small blade knife used to dissect specimens

coverslip

small piece of plastic or glass used to cover the specimen on a slide

weighing boat

used for weighing powders and crystals on a balance

graduated cylinder

used to accurately measures liquid volumes, often has plastic ring near top to prevent breakage

rubber stopper

used to cover ends of test tubes and flasks; containers should never be closed by stoppers when they are being heated

pipette bulb

used to create the vacuum suction needed to pull liquid up into a pipet

dissecting probe

used to examine specimens without touching them with your fingers, usually has a bent shape with a rounded endpoint

dissecting needle

used to examine specimens without touching them with your fingers, usually have a straight shape with a sharp endpoint

hot plate / stir plate

used to heat and stir substances

Bunsen burner

used to heat substances (I don't mean your morning coffee, though...) Remember, you should never heat a closed container OR place an object into the base of the flame.

test tube holder

used to hold hot test-tubes (definitely better than burning your fingers!! ouch!!)

beaker

used to hold liquids, NOT used for making exact measurements

Erlenmeyer flask

used to hold liquids, NOT used for making exact measurements, has narrow neck to prevent splashes, can be closed using a rubber stopper

test tube

used to hold liquids; also used to contain chemical reactions

forceps

used to pick up or hold small items These are NOT called tweezers!

wash bottle

used to rinse various pieces of laboratory glassware. Notice I didn't say these are for having a squirting battle in class!!

wire gauze

used to support a container (such as a beaker or flask) during heating

ring clamp

used with ring stand to hold a glass container

test tube rack

holds test-tubes

inoculating loop

Metal loop that is used to transfer microorganisms such as bacteria.

dissecting pan

Pan filled with solid wax on which a dissection specimen is placed. The wax provides a nonskid surface so the specimen does not slide around during the dissection. T-pins are used to secure the specimen to the was.

dissecting scissors

Used for making fine cuts through skin and muscle

funnel

for pouring liquid or other substance through a small opening

stirring rod

glass rod used for stirring chemicals, must be cleaned before stirring different solutions so as not to cross contaminate them

ring stand

holds item to be heated above table top, allows for bunsen burner to be placed under item being heated