Laboratory Glassware and Uses

Beaker

• Used for pouring, storing, mixing, heating, and dispensing
• Not used for precise measurements
• Features a "beak" for pouring

Flask

• Used for holding solids or liquids that may release gas during reactions or splatter easily when stirred or heated.
• Not designed for precise measurements

Florence Flask

• Used for holding liquids
• Not used for accurate measurements

Volumetric Flask

• Laboratory glassware calibrated for precise volume at a specific temperature
• Used for accurate dilutions and preparing standard solutions
• Typically pear-shaped with a flat bottom, made of glass or plastic

Graduated Cylinder

• Used for measuring liquids
• Not suitable for chemical reactions
• Measurements are taken from the curve of the meniscus

Test Tubes

• Used for holding liquids and chemicals during experiments
• Used for storing, mixing, and heating
• Not used for precise measurements
• Should be held using tongs or clamps, never by hand

Burette

• Vertical cylindrical piece of laboratory glassware
• Graduated for precise measurement of liquid volumes
• Fitted with a tap to dispense known amounts of liquid

Meniscus

• Curved surface of a liquid in a cylinder
• Caused by adhesion between the liquid and container and cohesion between liquid particles
• Used for taking measurements in graduated cylinders, beakers and other vessels

Test Tube Holder

• Useful for holding hot test tubes
• Prevents burns

Test Tube Brushes

• Used to clean test tubes and graduated cylinders

Test Tube Racks

• Used for holding and organizing test tubes
• Plastic racks may melt if exposed to extreme heat

Rubber Stoppers

• Used to seal containers to prevent spillage or contamination
• Should not be used when heating containers

Spot Plates

• Used for performing multiple small-scale reactions

Watch Glass

• Used to hold small amounts of solid substances, often the product of a reaction

Glass Stir Rod

• Used to manually stir solutions
• Can transfer small drops of solution

Stirring Rod

• Used for mixing chemicals and hot liquids

Medicine Dropper

• Used for transferring small volumes of liquid (less than 1 mL)
• Typically includes a rubber bulb

Litmus Paper

• Used to identify acids (blue litmus turns red) and bases (red litmus turns blue)

Funnel

• Used to aid in the transfer of liquid from one container to another

Mohr Pipet

• Used for measuring and delivering precise volumes of liquid

Micropipette

• Used for accurate and precise transfer of liquid samples in the microliter range

• Available in single channel and multichannel versions

• Single Channel or Multichannel Micropipettes are selected based on the number of samples or replicates

• Tips can be conical or cylindrical, universal or pipette specific, filtered or non-filtering, and graduated

Wash Bottle

• Delivers wash solution to a specific area
• Primarily used with distilled water

Weighing Boat

• Used for weighing solids before transferring them to another container

Spatulas

• Used to dispense solid chemicals from their containers
• Chemicals should never be transferred with bare hands

Beaker Tongs

• Used to move beakers containing hot liquids

Bunsen Burner

• Used for heating non-volatile liquids and solids

Hot Plate

• Used for heating substances using electricity

Ring Stand

• Used to hold containers away from a heat source (like a Bunsen burner) during experiments

Iron Ring

• Connects to a ring stand, providing a stabilized platform for reactions

Utility Clamps

• Used to secure test tubes, distillation columns, and burets to the ring stand

Double Buret Clamps

• Used to secure burets (long graduated tubes used in titrations)

Laboratory Centrifuge

• Device driven by a motor that spins liquid samples at high speed
• Used to separate substances of different densities