What does a good lab look like? It looks clean and well-organized. A good science lab has plenty of space to work on projects. The room also needs to be safe. If there’s too much clutter, students will not feel comfortable.
You need to provide enough light for your students when they are doing experiments in the lab. Lighting can be provided by natural sunlight, fluorescent lighting, or even overhead lights. There should also be ventilation to allow the air to flow around the classroom.
In addition, your lab should contain a sink, so that your students don’t have to walk over to the main kitchen area to wash up after they finish an experiment.
There should be tables and chairs so that you can give each student his or her workspace. These may include a desk, table, and chair. In most cases, you want to have at least three separate areas where your students can work.
Finally, there must be storage cabinets or drawers, so that the teacher can store items such as chemicals or supplies.
What Is School Science Laboratory Equipment?
School science lab equipment can be used by students to conduct experiments, such as testing food samples, measuring temperatures, analyzing soil, etc. There are many different kinds of instruments that you might use in the classroom, including microscopes, thermometers, pH meters, balance scales, pipettes, test tubes, beakers, etc.
There are also some other items that you need to consider when purchasing your own set of laboratory supplies. For example, you should make sure that the instrument you purchase has been tested and approved for educational purposes. You can find more information regarding this issue in the following paragraphs.
In addition to these items, you will want to buy a few pieces of furniture for your school lab. This includes a bench, a sink, a refrigerator, and a work surface. The best way to determine how much space you need is to measure the area where your students will perform their experiments.
You can also take into account the size of the room you have available when planning the layout of your lab. If you don’t have enough space, then it may be necessary for you to share a lab with another teacher or group of teachers.
Importance of Science Laboratory Equipment
Science laboratories have become very popular in recent years. This is large because many people believe that scientific experiments will help them to gain a better understanding of the world around them. If you want to be able to conduct your research, then you should consider purchasing some lab equipment.
There are two main reasons why you might need to purchase some sort of laboratory equipment. First, it allows you to perform tests on materials that you would normally use in an experiment. Second, it helps you to organize the information that you collect.
If you decide to buy a microscope, then you’ll be able to look at the details of small objects. However, you won’t be able to touch these items.
A thermometer is another piece of lab equipment that you can use to measure temperature. You may also use it to check whether or not food is safe to eat.
You can even make your test tubes by using a funnel and a jar. These are great for collecting samples of things like soil, water, blood, hair, and other substances.
It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t try to do any type of science experiment without first learning how to properly handle the equipment.
1. Microscope :
A laboratory is where scientists conduct experiments. Many different kinds of lab equipment help them to perform their work. One piece of equipment is the microscope.
When you look through a microscope, you can observe the smallest details in your specimen. This helps you to learn more about how things work. You might be surprised by what you find.
Microscopes have been around for hundreds of years. The first microscopes were made from glass and used oil-based dyes. Over time, however, people began to use water-soluble stains instead of oils.
A microscope is a very basic and needed equipment in the biology laboratory. A simple light microscope (compound microscope) is the, which is mostly used in schools and colleges and it uses natural or artificial light and a series of magnifying lenses to observe a tiny specimen. Below is the schematic diagram of a compound microscope with details of its parts:
A microscope operates on the principles of refraction of light and takes advantage of how convex lenses bend light. There are generally two lenses – objective and oculus. The objective stays very close to the sample to be seen and makes a virtual large image of it. The oculus stays close to the eye and enlarges the previous image even further, and we see that.
2. Test Tubes :
The next very common apparatus is the test tube. They are usually cylindrical pipes made up of glass, with a circular opening on one side and a rounded bottom on the other side. They come in different sizes but the most common standard size is 18*150 mm. Test tubes are one of the most important apparatuses as they are functional from storing to mixing reagents in any chemical or biological reactions.
Test tubes come in various sizes and shapes, including plastic tubes used in medical labs.
3. Beakers :
Beakers are another cylindrical utensil made up of glass, with a flat bottom and an upper opening, which may or may not have a spout. They are of varying sizes and are used to hold, heat, or mix substances with the proper measure. Beakers come in every size from tiny 20 ml cups to liter-sized buckets, and everything in between – but 250-500 ml beakers are most common.
Beakers are very much favored in labs because of their ease of use. With the flat bottom and straight sides, they are very stable on most surfaces and best for boiling stuff safely; and with the large opening, you can pour things in or out of it, or stir the contents. However, that large opening also makes it unsuitable for storage purposes – use flasks for that.
Size: The size of a beaker will depend on the amount of liquid you’re using. Smaller breakers are better suited to smaller amounts of liquids. Larger beakers are ideal for larger volumes.
Shape: Round-bottom and conical shapes are best for storing chemicals. Pyrex glass is recommended for heating and boiling.
Material: Plastic, metal, and ceramic all work well for holding substances. Glass is the most durable material.
Capacity: Some beakers have a capacity of less than 1ml. Others hold more than 50 ml. Choose a large enough beaker to accommodate your needs.
Functions: A beaker can also serve as a funnel. This allows you to pour the contents into another container.
If you want to make sure that you get the perfect lab equipment, then it’s important to find out what kind of materials they are made from. For example, plastic is usually safe for food preparation. However, some plastics contain phthalates. These are harmful to human health.
4. Magnifying Glass :
A magnifying glass is one of the first introduced lab equipment among the students. As the name suggests, it is used to view enlarged or magnified images of objects or read the small calibrations marked on many pieces of equipment. It has a convex lens for object enlargement and usually has a wooden handle to hold it.
A magnifying glass works with the principle of virtual image creation due to the refraction of light. The centerpiece of a magnifying glass is a convex lens (a round slab of glass fat in the center and progressively slender towards the edges). When light passes through it, a larger-than-life image of the objective is created behind it, which we see from the other side of the glass. The wooden or plastic handle, attached to the lens with a metal or plastic rim, helps you to hold the magnifying glass steadily.
5. Volumetric Flask :
A volumetric flask is a type of laboratory equipment that helps scientists measure the volume of liquid samples. This lab equipment comes in different sizes. The most popular size is the 250 mL flask, but you may also come across other flasks, such as 500 mL, 1000 mL, and 2000 mL.
This type of lab equipment is made from glass and plastic. Some are more durable than others. However, all of them have similar features. For example, you will need to be careful when using a volumetric flask, since it can break easily. If this happens, you should always use caution.
You’ll also want to make sure that you store your volumetric flask properly. You shouldn’t leave the lid open while you’re measuring the amount of liquid inside. In addition, you may want to keep your volumetric flask in a cool, dry place.
Volumetric flasks are essential pieces of laboratory equipment for many science classes. However, you don’t necessarily need one to complete these assignments. There are plenty of alternatives that you could choose instead. For instance, you might consider using a graduated cylinder to measure the volume of liquids.
This is one of the most important equipment of in any lab, which is made up of glass and is calibrated to hold a precise volume of liquids at any precise temperature. Different sizes of volumetric flasks are available, each calibrated for the exact measurement of liquids and solutions. In chemistry labs, it is mostly used in the preparation of standard solutions.
A volumetric flask has a large bulbous body on the bottom, which may have a flattened or round bottom. the body has a long narrow neck, good for plugging a stopper. Sometimes they will be graduated, meaning there will be volume scales printed on the side so that you can measure how much liquid is in the flask. They are generally made of borosilicate glass, or hardened glass if you need to heat the contents to a higher temperature. You can also use volumetric flasks to store some liquid you made for a long time.
6. Bunsen Burner :
Bunsen burners are used for cooking food in laboratories. Many different kinds of laboratory equipment can be found online. If you want to learn more, then take a look at this article.
There are two main parts to any lab. The first part is the oven, where all the heating occurs. This includes the stovetop, microwave, convection oven, and other devices. The second part of the lab is the refrigerator, freezer, sink, and other areas.
If you need to buy some new equipment for your kitchen, then check out Amazon.com. You’ll find that there are plenty of options available.
You should also make sure that you get a good deal on your purchase. Buying cheap equipment is usually not a smart idea.
You mustn’t use old equipment. It’s best to replace your existing items with newer models when possible.
To prevent problems in the future, try to avoid using the same piece of equipment for too long. It might become worn down over time.
This apparatus produces a single open flame and it is used for heating and sterilization purposes in the various experiments conducted in labs. A laboratory often needs a lot of things heated or boiled, and a bunsen burner was tailor-made for this purpose. It runs on standard LPG fuel and can reach a fairly respectable temperature, unlike a spirit lamp.
The bunsen burner produces a single clean, steady, sootless flame of high temperature, and that’s why it is so well-favored in laboratories. It is relatively safe to use when used with caution.
7. Dropper :
The dropper, also known as the Pasteur pipette, is a common small apparatus, usually made up of a plastic or glass cylinder, having a small nozzle on one side and a rubber holder on the other. It is used to put the liquids or solutions in any medium dropwise, that is, one drop at a time, a piece of necessary equipment when any reagent is required in an extremely small amount in a solution.
Pipettes are the big brothers of droppers and you can take up larger amounts of liquids in them. Both pipettes and droppers have special cleaning procedures, and you will need a bit of training before you can properly use them in a laboratory safely.
8. Thermometer :
Every lab is equipped with a basic thermometer as many times, certain chemical or biological reactions can be carried out in any particular temperature range only and so to proceed, the thermometer becomes very necessary to measure the temperature of the required solution before moving forward with further reaction procedure.
The thermometers that we generally use in laboratories are analog types, though there are digital versions out there as well. It is a pencil-thin tube of clear glass with graduated temperature readings with a hairline bore through its middle through which the indicator liquid rises.
9. Tongs :
Tongs, though not much in use, are common and basic apparatus in any lab. They are used to grasp and lift hot vessels and harmful substances during any kind of reaction taking place in the lab. Many fingers have burned due to careless handling of hot or dangerous substances in labs. Therefore, make it a habit to handle things with tongs unless you are sure otherwise.
Strictly speaking, tongs are not exactly lab safety apparatus, but they indeed save you from a lot of harm. There are two kinds of tongs used in labs – larger ones with a hinge, and small tweezers. Both are coated with non-reactive material so that they can resist corrosion up to a certain extent.
10. Brushes :
Not many people know it, but cleaning things are one of the biggest portions of everyday lab life. Keeping glassware and apparatus clean is the first step to achieving precision and perfection. Brushes serve as the cleansing apparatus of the test tubes, as they are the only things that can get fit into the narrow-mouthed test tubes and other cylindrical and narrow objects.
Though brushes are cleaning apparatus, don’t forget to clean the brushes themselves after your cleaning spree! Otherwise, the next time you try to clean something with the same brush it will get dirtier instead. What’s worse, if the substances are reactive then you may be looking at a potential accident. So, clean your cleaning equipment too – it makes sense.
11. Weighing machines :
When we perform experiments in laboratories, we deal with very small quantities of reagents usually in units of micro or mini grams. With a general physical balance, it is tough to get the desired and exact amounts of the reagents and so these weighing machines come into the picture. These machines help in measuring very small units of substances in terms of weight.
There are two kinds of lab weighing machines – precision balances and analytical balances. Precision balances are the most common and they can measure milligrams. Analytical balances are, however, so sensitive that even air currents can disturb them. This is why they have a glass box enclosure over the weighing plate. Analytical balances can measure parts of micrograms.
12. Wash bottles :
The wash bottles are laboratory consumables used for cleansing and sterilization purposes. These bottles are made up of plastic, which serves as a squeezy container with a long nozzle. They mostly contain distilled water, ethanol, or deionized water.
13. Spatula :
These laboratory spatulas are very much similar to the kitchen like spatulas found in our home but they are just very smaller in size in comparison. The spatulas are usually resistant to heat and acids, hence making them suitable for large-range use in laboratory experiments.
14. Spring balance :
Spring balance also referred to as the Newton meter, is another instrument helpful in measuring the weight of an object. This apparatus consists of a spring and a hook and it works on the principle of Hooke’s law, according to which, the force applied to an object is directly proportional to the extension, provided that the elastic limit is not reached.
15. Burette :
Its mostly used in titration reactions, and is a handful in delivering a known volume of any substance to other equipment. This apparatus is a long-graduated tube, with a stopcock present at the lower end. It usually comes in sizes of 10ml, 25ml, or 50ml.
16. Watch glass :
This apparatus is more commonly found in chemistry laboratories and is made up of a concave piece of glass. It is normally used to hold solids, evaporate liquids, and heat small quantities of different substances as per the need of the experiment.
17. Funnels :
Funnels are necessary equipment to pour substances and solutions in narrow-mouthed test tubes and conical flasks. There is a variety of its available, the most common ones are filters, thistle, and dropping funnels.
18. Ammeter :
Ammeter is important lab apparatus used to measure the amount of current flowing; very popular equipment is present in physics labs. It is also very handful during electrolysis reactions.
19. Crucible :
Crucibles are made up of porcelain and are used to store and heat substances when required to be heated at high temperatures since glassware is not always suitable for such high heat involving experiments.
20. Litmus and filter papers :
These two cannot be called apparatus in a proper way, but they serve as one of the most important and basic things that will be required in any kind of laboratory. The litmus paper serves to identify the pH of any solution by changing colors whereas, the filter paper serves in the filtration process.
Overall, we can call them the basic or common laboratory apparatus we use in a school physics, chemistry, biology, and composite lab and it varies more or less depending on the type of laboratory a person is working in.