Common Laboratory Equipment

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What pieces of equipment are often used during experiments?

To carry out experiments in the lab, you need to know the names and uses of pieces of equipment that are often used. To the right is a table of common equipment and their uses.

When science equipment is put together for an experiment, it is called an apparatus. For example, the picture shows the apparatus for heating a flask of water. The top drawing is three dimensional and has been drawn by an artist. The bottom one is a simple cross-sectional view, and is how you should draw apparatus for your science experiments. Note how much simpler the bottom diagram is. For example, there is no line across the top of the flask, and only two legs of the tripod are shown.

Here is an even more comprehensive list of common laboratory equipment, from the Science World 9 textbook.

Drawing Science Equipment Correctly

Scientists draw equipment in two dimensions only, not three dimensions. This makes the drawings much simpler and quicker to draw. When drawing in this way, you need to follow these rules:

Draw the item as if it is cut in half, drawing just the outline.
Use a pencil so you can correct mistakes.
Never use colour, shading or coloured pens.
Use a ruler for all straight lines.
Add labels where necessary.

More on Common Lab Equipment

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Glossary

Key terms and definitions.

Beaker: Holds larger volumes of liquids/mixtures.
Boiling tube: Safely holds small amounts of liquids/mixtures that need to be heated.
Bunsen burner: Burns natural gas to make a flame used for heating and burning.
Conical flask: Holds larger volumes of liquids/mixtures, especially good for swirling (mixing).
Funnel: Makes it easier to put liquids into narrow containers.
Gauze mat: Sits on a tripod and spreads the heat from a Bunsen burner out evenly.
Heat proof mat: Protects the bench from hot and burning objects.
Measuring cylinder: Measures volumes of liquids accurately.
Stirring rod: Mixes liquids / mixtures safely.
Test tube: Holds small amounts of liquids/mixtures that do not need to be heated.
Thermometer: Measures the temperature of liquids.
Tongs: Holds objects that are to be burnt or heated.
Tripod: Holds equipment, like beakers, above a Bunsen burner.