Thursday, July 14, 2011

A Variety of Laboratory Apparatus and Their Uses

Equipments and tools used by scientists in laboratories are known as laboratory apparatus. Different types of tools and equipments are used in the chemical and medical laboratories. Nevertheless there are a few basic tools and equipments that are used in several laboratories.

Most of the laboratory apparatus include instruments that are used for heating, measuring as well as mixing different types of liquids in the laboratories.



Some of the Basic Lab Tools and Equipments

Basically lab equipments are categorized into three types:

Flasks: this important laboratory equipment is usually made of glass and even plastic. It is mainly used for storing, measuring and heating liquids of different types. Flasks are also used for mixing different types of liquids. The Erlenmeyer flask is one of the most useful flasks used in a laboratory. It has a unique shape with a flat and sturdy base which heats liquids faster than other flasks. With a long narrow neck and flat bottom, this flask is quite popular as it enables better mixing of liquids without spilling.

The other types of flasks include the Florence flasks and the volumetric flasks. The Florence flasks are used for uniform heating of liquids and so it is also called boiling flasks. It has a bottom that enables equal heating of the liquid. The volumetric flask on the other hand is used for mixing solutions of fixed volume.

Pipettes and other measuring equipments: laboratory apparatus also include various types of measuring equipments. Pipettes are used for precise and accurate measurement of small quantities of liquids. The liquids and solutions are drawn into the pipettes by the pipette bulb. Other measuring equipments include graduated cylinders and beakers. Beakers are basically used to measure and mix solutions. Analytical balance is also used for accurate measurements.

Mixing equipment: laboratory apparatus includes mixing equipments such as magnetic stirrers and shakers. The shakers have platforms where beakers and flasks can be placed. These shakers move and thereby mix the solutions. The magnetic stirrers have magnets encased in plastic which is placed in the test tubes and the solution is mixed when the tubes are placed in the base unit.

Different heating equipments: various types of heating equipments such as Bunsen burners, hot water baths and so forth are also included in laboratory apparatus. The Bunsen burners are hot plates used for heating. These burners have a smokeless and single flame that can be adjusted.

Other Types of Laboratory Apparatus

Apart from the above mentioned equipments there are many more tools used in laboratories such as test tubes, test tube holders, microscopes, safety glasses, droppers, balances and so forth. Mortars are used for crushing solids into fine powder. For the purpose of holding hot liquids, beakers and flasks, tongs are quite essential.

Other essential laboratory apparatus include thermometers which are used for measuring the temperature of liquids, gases and solids. For the purpose of heating small quantities of samples, Crucibles are more commonly used. Crucibles can be used in very high temperature.

All these equipments can be ordered from the online suppliers listed in the business portals.

No comments:

Post a Comment