Lab Equipment and Safety Procedures

Yes, you should take notes!

Beaker

A cylinder container used to hold liquids Several sizes Transfer liquids using smaller beakers,

Erlenmeyer flasks, test tubes, graduated cylinders

Volume measurements are not precise

Ring Stand The base supporting the iron ring

Iron Ring Attached to ring stand Supports beakers on the ring stand so that

they may be heated

Clamp Clamps rubber tubing to stop the flow of

liquid An extension off of the

ring stand used to hold

a single test tube

Wire Gauze Allows for more even and gradual heating

of glassware Place on iron ring

Test Tube holds small amounts of liquids Come in different lengths and widths to

serve various needs. They are typically used by chemists to hold different materials, usually liquids, during chemical experiments

Test Tube Holder Made of wire and used to hold tube when

you can't hold it directly

Test Tube Rack Device to hold test tubes in place while you

can't hold them Divots for holding test tubes in upright

position Pegs for drying of test tubes in upside down

position

Tongs Used to move hot objects; crucibles

Beaker Tongs Large, curved tongs Special tongs used for handling hot

glassware

Ceramic Triangle Place on iron ring to hold funnel Used for heating or cooling evaporating

dish Used to hold a crucible while the crucible is

heated

Bunsen Burner Before lighting, check to be sure barrel is turned

so no oxygen is getting to flame Rubber tubing attaches to gas valve Adjust flame height after lit Gas valve perpendicular=OFF Gas valve parallel=ON Tie back hair and loose clothing TURN OFF WHEN NOT BEING USED Used for heating, sterilization, and combustion

Hot Plate Plug into electrical outlet TURN OFF AND UNPLUG WHEN NOT IN

USE Increase hotplate temperature slowly so

glass does not burst Used to heat liquids in glass beakers,

Erlenmeyer flasks, and metal pans

Stirring Rod Glass – used for stirring in beakers and

flasks Used to aide in dissolving a solute in a

solvent, mixing Be sure to wash before using to mix

different mixtures – you could cause contamination

Wash Bottle Filled with water Plastic, with plastic straw Squeeze gently to rinse glassware

Evaporating Dish Used to heat or cool A small vessel with a wide opening used

particularly for rapid evaporating, weighing small quantities of powder, burning chemicals in air, and weighing filter paper after filtration

Dropper Can be glass with rubber bulb on end or plastic

(disposable) Squeeze air out of bulb Place end in liquid and release rubber bulb to fill

dropper with liquid To dispense, squeeze bulb gently RINSE THOROUGHLY BETWEEN THE

TRANSFER OF DIFFERING CHEMICALS TO ELIMINATE CONTAMINATION

Funnel Glass or plastic tube with a conical opening that is

used to pour liquid through a smaller opening Used for filtration Filter paper- fold in half, fold in half again, open

b/w 1 and 3, place in filter Slightly dampen filter with solvent to hold in place tube with a conical opening that is used to pour

liquid through a smaller opening

Scoopula (Yes, this is a real scientific term!)

Metal or glass A utensil used primarily in chemistry labs to

transfer solids: to a weigh paper for weighing, to a cover slip to measure melting point, or to a watch glass from a flask or beaker through scraping.

Erlenmeyer Flask Is a widely used type of laboratory

flask which has a conical base with a cylindrical neck

Used in filtrations and distillations

Rubber Stopper Holds thermometer in place while

measuring temperature Used to seal glassware to prevent

contaminants from entering

Graduated Cylinder Water is polar, glass is polar. The water “sticks”

to the glass and causes the liquid being measured to look like a ‘u’ (meniscus)

Read from bottom of MENISCUS A tall glass cylinder with a range of calibrated

markings that is used for visually MEASURING THE VOLUMES OF LIQUIDS

Do not allow reactions to occur in the graduated cylinder

Well Plate Plastic, several wells Used for microchemistry Use droppers to transfer liquids

Timer Keep track of how long it takes a reaction to

take place Measure in seconds

Thermometer Measures temperature, glass tube with

alcohol or mercury CBL, electrical temperature gauge. Place

gauge in liquid and get a digital readout. CBL will not break as easily

Hot Glove Move hot items

Safety Goggles Must be on at ALL times during a lab

    

Triple Beam Balance Measures mass – amount of matter in an object Matter – takes up space Be sure all weights are pushed completely to the left Start with highest weight and work your way down You want the beam to balance in the middle of the arm Weighing paper – zero with paper on plate, measure

from there (begin with too little, easier to add more)

Watch Glass A circular, slightly concave piece of glass

used in chemistry as a surface to evaporate a liquid, or as a cover for a beaker

Cleaning Brushes Used to clean glassware Do NOT poke the wire brush into bottom of

glassware – it will break

A Few extra reminders… Kill jar – labeled container for disposing of

chemicals that cannot be rinsed down the sink If you have extra reagent, do NOT return to

container. This will cause CONTAMINATION of the entire container. Dispose of it properly.

If glassware is broken at your lab station, please CALL YOUR TEACHER. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN IT UP YOURSELF!

Lab Safety Always wear safety goggles Long hair and baggy clothing must be tied

back Always point a test tube opening away from

yourself and others Never taste or sniff anything Never leave a burner unattended Report accidents immediately