Name______________________________
Lab Equipment Worksheet
Students are required to learn the names and functions of various types of
equipment that they may use in Chemistry laboratory activities. This worksheet
identifies the most common items and describes what they are used for. Attached
to this worksheet is a handout Common Laboratory Equipment which shows
drawings of each item.
Part I: Description of Lab Equipment
Name Function
Lab equipment which
produces a single open
Bunsen burner gas flame, which is used
for heating, sterilization,
and combustion
Device used to evaporate
Evaporating dish solids and supersaturated
liquids
Probably the most
Beaker common vessel for holding
liquids in the lab
Used in many lab activities
Ring stand as the support for another
apparatus
tool used to crush, grind,
Mortar & pestle and mix solid substances
Must be worn for lab
Safety goggles activities to protect the
eyes.
used in chemistry as a
surface to evaporate a
Watch glass liquid, to hold solids while
being weighed, or as a
cover for a beaker
Rubber stoppers & Used to contain liquids in
Corks test tubes and flasks
A pipette (also called a
pipet, pipettor or chemical
dropper) is a laboratory
Pipets, Micropipets & instrument used to
Droppers transport a measured
volume of liquid.
A squeeze bottle with a
nozzle, used to rinse
various pieces of
laboratory glassware, such
Wash bottle
as test tubes and round
bottom flasks.
A file is a metalworking
and woodworking tool
File used to cut fine amounts
of material from a
workpiece.
is a flat plate with multiple
24-well plate "wells" used as small test
tubes
Name Function
Can be placed on an iron
Pipestem Clay
ring to provide a stage for
triangle a crucible
Used for many activities
Test tubes which requires multiple
reagents or solutions
May be attached to a ring
stand and be made to hold
Utility clamp a test tube or
thermometer
Often attached to ring
Iron ring stand to use as support for
a beaker
May be placed in an iron
Funnel ring. Used for filtration or
the delivery of liquids.
Often placed over the iron
Wire gauze ring, to provide a stage
for a beaker
May be used to hold
liquids instead of beakers,
Erlenmeyer flask when a smaller opening is
preferred.
Used to handle hot
Tongs beakers and other
glassware
It is used to dispense
known amounts of a liquid
reagent in experiments for
Buret
which such precision is
necessary, such as a
titration experiment
Used to measure the
Graduated cylinder volume of liquids
container which can
withstand high
Crucible & cover temperature and is used
for metal, glass, and
pigment production
Forceps are a handheld,
hinged instrument used
Forceps for grasping and holding
objects.
 A spatula is used to take
The wire brush is primarily
and handle small
an abrasive implement,
Spatula & Scoopula quantities of solid Wire brush used for cleaning rust and
chemicals. It serves as a
removing paint
spoon.
Used to holds many test Used to measure
Test-tube rack tubes. Thermometer temperature

Part II: Explain which piece of laboratory equipment would be most useful for each
of the following tasks:

1) Holding 50 mL of boiling water: ______ ___________________________________

2) Melting crystals to make glass:___________________________________________

3) Pouring 50 mL of acid from one container to another:________________________

4) Measuring exactly 43 mL of water: _______________________________________

5) Crushing large chunks of sodium chloride:__________________________________

6) Adding 10 drops of iodine to a solution:____________________________________

7) Suspending glassware over a Bunsen burner:________________________________

8) Removing solid iron shavings from a reagent bottle:__________________________

9) Keeping the contents of a boiling beaker from

splattering:_____________________

10) Transferring a hot beaker from a hot plate to cool:___________________________

11) Notching copper shavings from a solid block:_______________________________

12) Mixing many different solutions to compare pH:_____________________________

13-17) Diagram A shows a typical setup for boiling a liquid. In the boxes
provided, name the five items used.

18-20) Diagram B shows a typical titration lab setup. In the boxed provided,
name the three items used.

Diagram A: Boiling a Liquid Diagram B: Chemical

Titration

18.
13.

19.

14.

15. 20.

16.

17.
Part III: Mini-Lab. The best way to become familiar with a chemical apparatus it the
actually handle the pieces yourself in the lab. Great emphasis is placed on safety
precautions that should be observed whenever you perform an experiment or use certain
apparatus.

A. Bunsen Burner Demonstration

Safety: Goggles, Flammable
Materials: Tongs, Striker/Sparker, Bunsen burner, Tubing, Copper wire
Procedure:
1. The Bunsen burner is commonly used as a source of heat in the lab.
Each has a gas inlet located in the base, vertical tubing in which the
gas mixes with air, and adjustable openings or ports in the base of the
barrel. These ports admit air to the gas stream. The burner is always
turned off at the gas valve!
2. Check safetycheck all hosing for cracks or holes. Make sure safety goggles are on.
3. Adjust the air ports at the base of the barrel to be 50% open and 50% closed.
4. Turn the gas valve on (referring to a clock = 12:20 or 12:25), and immediately hold
the sparker about 5cm above the top of the burner and spark. If you have trouble
lighting, turn off Bunsen burner, and contact the teacher for assistance. (CAUTION:
Improperly burning will produce the poisonous gas Carbon Monoxide)
5. There are 2 types of flame: nonluminous = blue (very little noise), or luminous =
yellow. Luminous is seldom used in the lab; it is too cool of a flame and produced
soot on materials being burned due to incomplete combustion.
6. Regulate the flame to about 8 cm above the barrel. Adjust the air ports to obtain a
sharply defined inner blue cone.
7. Using forceps and a piece of 10cm copper wire, locate the hottest portion of the
flame. Do this by placing the end of the copper wire in the gas closest to the barrel,
slowly working your way up the flame. Observe the wire.
8. Shut off the gas burner.

Answer the following questions. (If you have any questions about the Bunsen burner contact
the teacher.)
What does the safety symbol represent for this portion of the lab?

What was the result of closing the ports?

 o Why?

Where is the hottest portion on the nonluminous flame located?

o How did you figure this out?

Why is the nonluminous flame preferred in the chemistry lab over the luminous
flame?

B. Electronic Scale & Triple Beam Balance

Materials: Unknown object, electronic scale, triple beam balance
Procedure: Weigh and record the mass in grams of the unknown object using both
devices
1. Electronic Scale:
2. Triple Beam Balance:
3. Which apparatus gave you a more accurate measurement?

Why do you think so?

C. Graduated Cylinder, Beaker & Flask

Materials: Colored liquid, graduated cylinder, beaker, flask
Procedure: Record the volume in mL in each apparatus.
4. Liquid volume in graduated cylinder :
5. Liquid volume in beaker:
6. Liquid volume in flask:
7. Which apparatus gave you a more accurate measurement?

Why do you think so?

FOR TEACHER: LAB SET-UP

KEY POINT: The more accurate measurement will have more calibrations on
the apparatus

2 stations of weighing devices

2 electronic scales
2 triple beam balances
2 metal objects (one per station)
Remind students to zero out electronic balance before reading
measurement

2 stations for liquid measurements

2 graduated cylinders (100 ml)
2 beakers (150 ml)
2 flasks (200 ml)
One drop of food coloring in water
Have different measurements for each one
Paper towel (in case of spills)