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Walk into a chemistry lab for the first time and it can feel like a kitchen designed by someone who hates straight lines: flasks with narrow necks, tubes with taps, dishes, funnels, clamps and stands everywhere. Each piece has a specific job, and knowing which to use is the first step to good practical work. Exam papers also regularly ask you to name equipment or explain why one item is better than another.
Here are the essentials, grouped by what they do.
Containers for mixing and reacting
| Equipment | What it’s for | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Beaker | holding, mixing and heating liquids | volume markings are only approximate (about ±5%); never use them for accurate measurement |
| Conical (Erlenmeyer) flask | swirling liquids without splashing, e.g. in titrations | narrow neck reduces spills and evaporation |
| Round-bottomed flask | heating liquids evenly, e.g. in distillation or reflux | needs a clamp or cork ring; can’t stand on its own |
| Boiling tube | heating larger amounts than a test tube | wider and thicker than a test tube |
| Test tube | small-scale reactions and tests | hold with a test-tube holder when heating; point away from people |
| Spotting tile | testing tiny amounts with indicators | white background makes colour changes easy to see |
| Watch glass | covering beakers, evaporating small amounts, holding solids for weighing | |
| Evaporating basin | evaporating a solution to leave a solid | heat gently over a water bath or Bunsen |
| Crucible (with lid) | heating solids strongly, e.g. burning magnesium | porcelain; handle with crucible tongs |
Measuring volume
| Equipment | Precision (typical) | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Measuring cylinder | ±0.5–1 cm³ (for 50–100 cm³) | quick, moderately accurate volumes |
| Volumetric pipette | ±0.06 cm³ for 25.00 cm³ | one very accurate fixed volume |
| Graduated pipette | ±0.05–0.1 cm³ | accurate variable small volumes |
| Burette | read to ±0.05 cm³ | adding variable volumes accurately, e.g. titrations |
| Volumetric flask | ±0.3 cm³ for 250 cm³ | making a solution of exact volume |
| Gas syringe | about ±0.5 cm³ | collecting and measuring gas volumes |
| Dropping pipette | not accurate | adding liquids a drop at a time |
See measuring volume accurately for when to choose each one.
Measuring mass, temperature and time
| Equipment | Use | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic (top-pan) balance | mass, typically to 0.01 g | tare (zero) with the container on; see using a balance |
| Analytical balance | mass to 0.0001 g | enclosed draught shield; for precise work |
| Thermometer | temperature | alcohol thermometers are common in schools; digital probes read to 0.1 °C |
| Stopwatch / timer | timing reactions | start and stop consistently |
| pH meter or probe | measuring pH precisely | calibrate first; see how a pH meter works |
| Data logger | recording temperature, pH, light or pressure over time | useful for rates and titration curves |
Heating
| Equipment | Use | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Bunsen burner | heating with a gas flame | yellow safety flame when idle, blue flame for heating |
| Tripod | supports gauze and containers over a flame | gets very hot |
| Gauze (wire mesh) | spreads heat evenly under a beaker | |
| Heatproof mat | protects the bench | |
| Pipeclay triangle | holds a crucible on a tripod | |
| Hot plate / heating mantle | flameless heating | safer with flammable liquids |
| Water bath | gentle, even heating up to 100 °C | ideal for flammable solvents |
Separating mixtures
| Equipment | Use |
|---|---|
| Filter funnel and filter paper | separating an insoluble solid from a liquid |
| Büchner funnel and flask | fast filtration under reduced pressure (vacuum filtration) |
| Separating funnel | separating two liquids that don’t mix, such as oil and water |
| Condenser (Liebig) | cooling vapour back into liquid in distillation and reflux |
| Fractionating column | separating liquids with close boiling points |
| Chromatography paper / TLC plates | separating dissolved substances by how far they travel |
| Centrifuge | spinning samples to separate solids from liquids quickly |
For how these are used, see methods such as paper chromatography.
Holding and supporting
| Equipment | Use |
|---|---|
| Clamp stand (retort stand), boss and clamp | holding burettes, condensers and flasks securely |
| Test-tube rack | storing test tubes upright |
| Test-tube holder | holding a test tube while heating |
| Tongs (crucible tongs) | lifting hot crucibles and evaporating basins |
| Spatula | transferring small amounts of solids |
| Glass stirring rod | stirring and transferring drops of liquid to indicator paper |
| Wash bottle | rinsing with distilled water |
| Pipette filler | drawing liquid safely into a pipette |
| Desiccator | keeping solids dry, e.g. after heating to constant mass |
Safety equipment
| Equipment | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Safety goggles / spectacles | protect eyes from splashes and flying glass |
| Lab coat | protects skin and clothing |
| Gloves | protect hands from corrosive or toxic chemicals |
| Fume cupboard | removes harmful gases and vapours |
| Eyewash station | rinsing eyes after a splash |
| Fire blanket | smothering small fires or burning clothing |
| Safety screen | shielding people from demonstrations |
Full safety rules are in lab safety rules.
Choosing the right equipment: examples
“Measure 25.0 cm³ of acid to put in a flask for a titration.” → Volumetric pipette, because it gives the most accurate single fixed volume.
“Add acid until the indicator changes colour, and record the volume.” → Burette, because it can deliver variable volumes and be read to ±0.05 cm³.
“Make exactly 250 cm³ of a standard solution.” → Volumetric flask.
“Heat a solid strongly to constant mass.” → Crucible with lid, on a pipeclay triangle and tripod, then cool in a desiccator before weighing.
“Measure the volume of hydrogen given off by a reaction every 10 seconds.” → Gas syringe (or an upturned measuring cylinder filled with water).
“Separate sand from salt water.” → Filter funnel and filter paper; then an evaporating basin to recover the salt.
Glassware materials
Most lab glassware is made of borosilicate glass (sold under brand names such as Pyrex in some countries). It contains boron oxide, which gives it a very low thermal expansion, so it can be heated and cooled quickly without cracking. Ordinary soda-lime glass, used for bottles and windows, is much more likely to crack when heated unevenly. Some items, such as reagent bottles and wash bottles, are made of plastic, especially for chemicals like sodium hydroxide that slowly attack glass.
Cleaning and caring for equipment
Good results depend on clean equipment. Wash glassware with warm water and detergent, using a brush for flasks and test tubes, then rinse with tap water followed by a final rinse of distilled water, so no dissolved minerals are left behind. Clean glass drains evenly; if water collects in droplets on the inside, there’s still grease on it. Leave glassware to drain upside down on a rack rather than drying it with paper towels, which leave fibres. Never put volumetric glassware in a hot oven, as heat can permanently change its volume. Report chipped or cracked glassware so it can be removed from use, and always return equipment to its proper place so the next person can find it.
Key takeaways
- Beakers and conical flasks hold and mix; they’re not for accurate measuring.
- Pipettes, burettes and volumetric flasks are for accurate volumes; measuring cylinders for rougher ones.
- Choose heating equipment to suit the substance: water baths and hot plates for flammable liquids, crucibles for strong heating of solids.
- Separation equipment includes filter funnels, separating funnels, condensers and chromatography materials.
- Safety equipment is part of every practical, not an extra.
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