Commonly Used Equipment in the Science Laboratory

Containers Used to Measure or Hold Larger Volumes of Liquid Erlenmeyer flasks Volumetric Flask Graduated cylinders Beakers Storage Bottles ***Use the appropriate volume container for the volume you are working with! If you don’t know ask. revOct2015

USES Accuracy of Markings Erlenmeyer Flask Narrow neck prevents splashes; used to heat and store substances Typically +/- 5% (not very good) Volumetric Flask For making accurate solutions of a known volume. Some as accurate as 0.025% Beaker Used to hold liquids. Beakers do not accurately measure liquids. Not very good. Graduated Cylinder Accurately measures liquid volumes; measures in milliliters Depends greatly on the size of the cylinder. But far better than Beakers. Storage Bottles Used for long term storage of solutions. Same as beakers. Volumetric Flask For making solutions of a known volume. revOct2015

Equipment Used to Measure Small Volumes of Liquid Various Pipets and Bulbs Measures small amounts of liquids accurately Pipet Bulb Used to pull liquid into a pipet Variable Micropipettes Pipet Pumps Also used to pull liquid into a pipet Various Sizes of Micropipette Tips revOct2015

Useful Equipment for Measuring the Mass of a Substance Electronic Balance Used to weigh the mass of a substance. Spatula Used to transfer powders and crystal chemicals Analytical Balance Excellent weighing performance, fast and accurate Weigh Paper Used for weighing powders and crystals; Weigh Boat Can be used for liquids; static can be an issue revOct2015

Instruments Used in the Science Laboratory Instrumentation used in the laboratory is generally considered to be a more ingenious use of a piece of equipment than the typical piece of laboratory equipment. They typically have some computerized components to them, but not always. For example, the analytical balance is also electronic but is more sophisticated than the everyday electronic balance. Both are instruments used in the biology and chemistry laboratory. Some of the most commonly pieces of instrumentation include: Analytical balances (as noted above) Microcentrifuges Microscopes Spectrophotometers pH Meters revOct2015

Compound microscope- most commonly used in our labs; A centrifuge is used to separate biomolecules that ordinarily would not separate out under normal gravitational forces. Centrifuges are classified according to the size and speed and can be low speed, high speed, or ultracentrifuges. Microcentrifuge Spins small volumes of liquid samples to separate their components; uses microcentrifuge tubes; Sometimes called Eppendorf tubes Compound microscope- most commonly used in our labs; Two sets of lenses to magnify an object; requires a glass slide (fixed or lab prepared) Larger centrifuges require larger centrifuge tubes Other types of microscopes include the dissection (stereoscope), phase contrast, and high powered microscopes such as scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEM) revOct2015

Spectrophotometers Genesys Spectrophotometer Spec 20 Spectroscopy studies the interactions between light and matter. The color a substance, solution or object appears to be is due to the wavelength (λ )of light that is not absorbed. If a solution appears red, the red solution absorbed specific wavelengths of light in the range of about 490-500 (blue-green λ). Spectrophotometers can be used to determine the absorbency of colored solutions and this information used to determine concentration of the absorbing molecules under study. Genesys Spectrophotometer Spec 20 Cuvettes to hold the solution revOct2015

Electrophoresis Equipment Gel Electrophoresis is a commonly performed task in most biology labs. Electrophoresis Unit Power Supply Lid Electrophoresis Chamber Gel Tray and Comb revOct2015

Other Handy Pieces of Equipment to Have in the Laboratory PCR Unit is an essential part of any molecular biology lab. PCR is the process of amplifying DNA millions of times over. Once DNA is amplified it can then be used in a number of laboratory and clinical techniques such as DNA fingerprinting, and diagnosis of genetic disorders. Hot plate/ Stir Plate Can heat liquids and with the aid of a magnetic stir bar; can stir the liquid as it’s being heated. Inside block of a PCR Unit; holds PCR tubes Magnetic stir bars come in various sizes PCR Tubes are tiny Stir bar retriever revOct2015