Basic Chemistry Lab Equipment

Summary

This video script offers a detailed introduction to essential lab equipment, focusing on glassware such as beakers, flasks, and graduated cylinders, each with specific uses and features. It also covers the proper handling of these items with tools like test tube holders, crucible tongs, and beaker tongs. The script further explains heating methods using a Bunsen burner, ring stands, and wire gauze, and introduces various other lab tools, including scoopulas, watch glasses, evaporating dishes, filter funnels, glass stirring rods, pipettes, and thermometers. The goal is to familiarize viewers with lab terminology and equipment functions, preparing them for practical lab sessions.

Takeaways

• 🧪 Beakers are containers with straight parallel sides used for holding liquids, not for precise measurements.
• 🥂 Erlenmeyer flasks have a conical shape with a narrower mouth, useful for containing splashes during chemical reactions.
• 📏 Graduated cylinders are essential for accurately measuring the volume of liquids with marked lines and numbers.
• 🔬 Test tubes and racks are used for conducting small-scale chemical reactions and keeping the tubes upright.
• 🤏 Test tube holders are used to securely hold test tubes, especially when heating or moving them.
• 🔥 Crucible tongs are designed for handling very hot items like crucibles and are not meant for picking up test tubes.
• 🍽 Beaker tongs with rubber tips are used for safely lifting and moving hot beakers.
• 🔥 Bunsen burners are used for heating substances in a lab setting and require proper lighting techniques.
• ⏸ Ring stands with iron rings and wire gauze provide a stable and even heating platform for lab equipment.
• 🥄 Scoopulas are small tools for transferring solid powders or crystals from one place to another.
• 👀 Watch glasses are used for observing substances but should not be heated due to their fragility.
• 🍲 Evaporating dishes are made of strong porcelain for heating and evaporating liquids safely.
• ☕️ Filter funnels are used to separate solids from liquids through filtration, similar to a coffee maker.
• 🥄 Glass stirring rods are made of Pyrex to avoid reactions with certain chemicals, especially acids.
• 💧 Pipettes are used for transferring small, precise amounts of liquid from one place to another.
• 🌡 Thermometers are essential for measuring temperatures in various lab processes.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of a beaker in a laboratory setting?

A beaker is primarily used to hold substances, such as liquids. It has straight parallel sides and is not typically used for precise measurements due to its lack of accuracy.

How does the shape of an Erlenmeyer flask differ from that of a beaker?

An Erlenmeyer flask has sides that are not parallel; they slope inwards, making the mouth of the flask narrower than the base. This design helps prevent splashing during chemical reactions.

Why are graduated cylinders important in a laboratory?

Graduated cylinders are essential for measuring the volume of liquids accurately. They have numbers and lines on the side to provide precise volume readings.

What is the purpose of a test tube and how is it typically stored?

A test tube is used for conducting small-scale chemical reactions. It is typically stored in a test tube rack to prevent it from falling over due to its rounded bottom.

What is a test tube holder used for?

A test tube holder is used to securely hold a test tube, especially when it needs to be heated or handled without direct contact with the glass, to avoid breakage or burns.

What is the difference between crucible tongs and beaker tongs?

Crucible tongs have a unique bent design to hold crucibles, which are small porcelain cups used for heating substances. Beaker tongs, with rubber tips, are padded and designed to grip and carry hot beakers.

How is a Bunsen burner used in a laboratory?

A Bunsen burner is used to provide a hot flame for heating substances in a laboratory. It is connected to a gas source and lit at the tip to produce the flame.

What is the purpose of a ring stand and wire gauze in a laboratory setup?

A ring stand provides a stable platform for laboratory equipment. A wire gauze, placed on top of an iron ring on the stand, creates an even heating surface for beakers or other containers.

What is a scoopula used for in a laboratory?

A scoopula is a laboratory tool that is half scoop, half spatula, used for transferring solid powders or crystals from a container to another location in the lab.

What is the difference between a watch glass and an evaporating dish?

A watch glass is a shallow, glass cover used for observing substances without heating. An evaporating dish, on the other hand, is a larger, more robust container made of porcelain, used for heating and evaporating liquids.

What is the function of a filter funnel in a laboratory?

A filter funnel is used to separate solids from liquids through filtration. A filter paper is placed in the funnel, and the mixture is poured through it, allowing the liquid to pass through while the solid remains on the paper.

Why is it important to use a glass stirring rod instead of a metal one in certain laboratory procedures?

A glass stirring rod, typically made of Pyrex, is used to prevent reactions with the substances being stirred, especially when dealing with acids or other reactive chemicals. Metal rods could react with these substances, leading to contamination or inaccurate results.

What is the purpose of a pipette in a laboratory?

A pipette is a tool used for transferring small, precise volumes of liquid from one place to another. It is especially useful for adding measured amounts of reagents in chemical reactions.

Why might a mercury thermometer not be the preferred choice in a modern laboratory?

Although mercury thermometers are coated to prevent breakage, they are generally not preferred due to the potential environmental and health hazards associated with mercury exposure.

Outlines

00:00

🧪 Introduction to Lab Equipment

The script introduces viewers to common laboratory equipment, focusing on glassware and instruments. It aims to familiarize viewers with the names and uses of various lab tools before they engage in practical lab work. The narrator explains the differences between beakers, flasks, and graduated cylinders, describing their shapes, typical uses, and the inaccuracies of the scales found on some glassware. Beakers are for holding substances, flasks are ideal for chemical reactions due to their shape, and graduated cylinders are essential for measuring liquid volumes accurately.

05:00

🔬 Additional Lab Glassware and Heating Equipment

This paragraph delves into other types of glassware such as test tubes and crucibles, along with their respective holders and tongs. Test tubes are used for small-scale chemical reactions and are kept upright in racks due to their rounded bottoms. Crucible tongs are designed for handling hot items, including crucibles, which are small porcelain cups used for heating substances. The paragraph also introduces Bunsen burners and various heating structures like ring stands and wire gauze, which are essential for conducting experiments that require heat.

10:02

🔍 Lab Tools for Handling and Measuring Substances

The final paragraph covers a range of laboratory tools used for handling and measuring substances. It discusses the use of a scoopula for transferring solid powders or crystals, a watch glass for observing substances, and an evaporating dish for heating without evaporating liquids. The paragraph also explains the use of a filter funnel for separating solids from liquids, similar to a coffee maker. Additionally, it mentions a glass stirring rod, a pipette for transferring small volumes of liquid, and the importance of using thermometers for measuring temperatures in experiments. The narrator emphasizes the importance of learning the names and functions of lab equipment for successful lab work.

Keywords

💡Lab Equipment

Lab equipment refers to the various tools and instruments used in a laboratory setting to carry out scientific experiments and procedures. In the video, lab equipment is the central theme, with the speaker introducing different types of glassware and their uses, such as beakers, flasks, and graduated cylinders, which are essential for holding, measuring, and containing substances during experiments.

💡Beaker

A beaker is a type of glassware with straight parallel sides, typically used for holding liquids. In the video, the speaker describes beakers as containers for liquids, such as water, and mentions that they come in various sizes, with the 250 ml beaker being a common size. The script also clarifies that the numbers on the side of a beaker are not used for precise measurements.

💡Erlenmeyer Flask

An Erlenmeyer flask is a type of flask with a conical shape, having a narrow mouth and a wider base. Named after the scientist Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer, it is used for containing and mixing chemicals, as its shape helps prevent splashing. The video explains that Erlenmeyer flasks are commonly used for chemical reactions due to their design.

💡Graduated Cylinder

A graduated cylinder is a piece of laboratory equipment used for measuring the volume of liquids with precision. It features marked lines and numbers along its side, allowing for accurate volume readings. The video script mentions different sizes of graduated cylinders, such as 50 ml and 10 ml, and emphasizes their importance in measuring volumes for experiments.

💡Test Tube

A test tube is a piece of laboratory glassware, usually cylindrical and with a rounded bottom, used for holding small quantities of liquids or solids. In the video, test tubes are mentioned as vessels for conducting small-scale chemical reactions, and the script also discusses the use of a test tube rack to keep them upright.

💡Test Tube Holder

A test tube holder is a piece of equipment used to securely hold a test tube, especially when it needs to be heated or moved without direct contact with the glass. The video script describes how to use a test tube holder to safely manipulate test tubes during experiments.

💡Crucible Tongs

Crucible tongs are a type of laboratory tool designed to handle very hot objects, such as crucibles, which are small porcelain cups used for heating substances. The video script explains that crucible tongs have a unique bent design to securely hold crucibles and prevent them from slipping.

💡Bunsen Burner

A Bunsen burner is a common piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame, used for heating substances in a lab. The video script describes the Bunsen burner as a key tool for heating beakers, crucibles, and other equipment, and mentions the importance of lighting it correctly.

💡Ring Stand

A ring stand is a piece of laboratory equipment used to support other apparatus, such as a Bunsen burner or an iron ring, during experiments. The video script mentions the ring stand as part of the setup for heating equipment, providing stability and structure for the heating process.

💡Scoopula

A scoopula, also known as a spatula, is a tool used for scooping and transferring solid powders or crystals from one container to another. The video script describes the scoopula as a half-scoop, half-spatula tool, illustrating its use in handling solid substances in a laboratory setting.

💡Evaporating Dish

An evaporating dish is a type of laboratory container made of strong porcelain, designed for heating liquids to evaporate them. The video script explains that evaporating dishes are used for processes where liquids need to be heated until they evaporate, leaving behind any solids.

💡Filter Funnel

A filter funnel is used in laboratories for separating solids from liquids through filtration. The video script describes the process of using a filter funnel with filter paper to filter a mixture, where the solid particles are trapped on the filter paper while the liquid passes through, similar to the principle of a coffee maker.

💡Glass Stirring Rod

A glass stirring rod is a tool made of Pyrex glass, used for stirring substances in a laboratory without the risk of reaction with the substances being mixed. The video script emphasizes the use of a glass rod instead of metal to avoid reactions, especially with acidic substances.

💡Pipet

A pipet, similar to an eye dropper, is a laboratory tool used for transferring small, precise volumes of liquid from one place to another. The video script mentions that pipets are disposable and are used for moving liquids without contamination, often in chemical analysis and experiments.

💡Thermometer

A thermometer is an instrument used to measure temperature. In the context of the video, thermometers are used to take temperatures of substances during experiments. The script mentions mercury thermometers and alcohol thermometers, with a preference for the latter due to safety concerns.

Highlights

Introduction to lab equipment and glassware for beginners.

Explanation of the three general types of glassware: beakers, flasks, and cylinders.

Beakers are used for holding liquids but not for accurate measurements.

Beakers come in various sizes, with a 250 ml beaker being a common size.

Flasks, specifically Erlenmeyer flasks, have non-parallel sides to prevent splashing.

Graduated cylinders are used for accurate volume measurements of liquids.

Different sizes of graduated cylinders are available for varying volume measurements.

Test tubes and racks are used for conducting small chemical reactions.

Test tube holders are used to securely hold test tubes during heating or reactions.

Crucible tongs are designed for handling hot items like crucibles, not test tubes.

Beaker tongs with rubber tips are used for safely lifting hot beakers.

Bunsen burners are used for heating substances in a lab setting.

Ring stands and wire gauze are used to create a stable heating platform.

Clay triangles are used to secure crucibles for heating.

Scoopulas are used for transferring solid powders or crystals.

Watch glasses are used for observing substances but should not be heated.

Evaporating dishes are used for heating and evaporating liquids.

Filter funnels are used for separating solids from liquids through filtration.

Glass stirring rods are used for stirring without reacting with the substance.

Pipettes are used for transferring small amounts of liquid.

Thermometers are essential for measuring temperatures in various lab processes.

Advice to review the video and use a handout for better understanding of lab equipment.

Transcripts

well hi welcome to the lab I thought

we'd take a little bit of time today to

take a look at some of the lab equipment

that we use some glasswar and some

instruments so that when you take your

first lab

you'll be able to understand what the

equipment is called and so I'm going to

show you a few of these things and tell

you how they're used so that you become

familiar with them I will tell you some

of the glasswar is a little confusing at

first until you're used to the

terminology so hopefully we'll get you

used to the terminology pretty

quick we're going to start with some

basic glassware now there are three

General types of glassware that you're

going to be coming in Conta with beers

flasks and cylinders it's pretty simple

actually the way you tell the difference

between them will also help you

understand how they're used so we'll

start with beakers a beaker is anything

with straight parallel sides it looks

kind of like a drinking cup although you

never want to drink anything out of

here but it has straight parallel sides

sometimes a beaker has numbers on the

side of it uh but we don't really use

this scale we don't use these numbers to

do really anything

important um it's just to give you an

idea of about how much is in here

they're not very

accurate you don't really measure with

beers beers aren't used to make

measurements beers are used just to hold

stuff so you might put a liquid in here

if you wanted to boil some water for

example quite a bit of water you would

put it in here beakers come in various

sizes this is probably one of the most

common sizes this is a 250 ml Beaker and

again you'll see it's got numbers on the

side but we don't use those numbers for

anything um and then they go very large

and they even get down to very very

small this is a tiny little uh 10ml

Beaker and uh it's isn't it cute it's

cute so a beaker has straight parallel

sides it may or may not have numbering

on it it's just used to hold stuff a

flask on the other

hand the sides are not parallel this

side almost looks like a cone and as a

matter Fact one of the names of it is a

conical flask but its more common name

is named after the scientist that

created it it's called an Erin Meer

flask an Erin Meer flask has sides that

are not parallel they slope in in other

way in other words the mouth of the

flask is much narrower than the base of

the flask in the case of a beaker the

mouth and base are essentially the same

diameter more or less but uh flask is

much an hour at the top and this

prevents splashing so we often do

chemical reactions in flasks because if

there's any kind of splashing it'll

usually be contained by the sides this

is probably the most common size this is

a

250ml earin Meer flask you'll be using

these every now and then and again they

get very large or they get very small

this is a 25ml Earl Meer flask but you

see it's the same shape the same general

side some of these may have numbers on

them but we don't we don't really

measure anything other than approximate

amounts in a Myer flask if you want to

measure volume you need to use something

called a graduated cylinder many of you

have seen a graduated cylinder before

it's called a graduated cylinder because

it has not only numbers but many numbers

and lines if you can see those right

along there numbers and lines on the

side this is what we use to measure

volume volume of liquids specifically

it's fairly accurate in other words we

can get a pretty good idea of how much

volume we have in here if we read it

correctly there are different sizes this

is a 50ml graduated cylinder we have 25

milliliters it's a little bit smaller

and we have 10 milliliters they're very

skinny they don't hold quite as much and

the lines are a lot smaller on a 10ml

flask if you can see how small those

lines are on a 10m graduated cylinder

they're very small and that means that

we're actually able to get a very

accurate volume uh small volume but very

accurate with something like this so we

have beers flasks and graduated

cylinders graduated cylinders are really

the only ones that we're going to use to

measure volume beers and flasks hold

stuff but don't generally we don't

generally measure with them even if they

have lines on them some other glassware

that you're going to become familiar

with you've probably seen something like

this in most movies about ABS or you may

have actually used these before these

are of course the ubiquitous test tube

and the rack the test tube rack that we

keep them in uh we need to keep them in

a rack because if you look very

carefully their bottoms are rounded

which means they won't stand up if I put

it down on the bench it'll fall right

over so we often don't want them to fall

over because whatever's in might spill

so we put them in a rack to keep them

upright the test tubes are where we do

small reactions we do chemical reactions

in test tubes all the time tests test is

just another word for reaction often in

chemistry and if we want to hold a test

tube we're going to use a very specific

piece of equipment called test tube

holder this is a test tube holder you

squeeze it together like this the Jaws

open you can put your test tube inside

like that and now we can hold the test

tube securely but without having to

actually touch the glass in case there's

something very hot in here or if we want

to put it into a flame and heat it test

tube

holder test tube holder test tube

rack test

tube something that people get confused

with the test tube holder and the test

tube

rack are these things now these are

called Crucible tongues and they have a

very unusual end to them see they're

kind of bent like that and they have

this weird sort of bent piece in the

middle Crucible tongs are not going to

be used to pick up test

tubes um they are used to pick up things

that are very hot you can hold something

directly in a bun and burner flame with

test with uh Crucible tongs or you can

use it to pick up something a hot piece

of glass wear for example if this Beaker

were a little too hot to touch it's

small enough I can grip it by the sides

uh but a a crucible Tong was originally

invented to hold well it's namesake a

crucible and a crucible is a small

porcelain cup a little

hat and inside this cup we can do some

heating we can heat things very strongly

cuz porcelain conducts heat pretty well

and originally this little weird bent

piece in the middle of the of the uh

Crucible tongs was designed to allow The

Crucible to sit right in there

unfortunately if you don't have a steady

grip or you relax your hand just a

little bit it'll slip right through and

you'll break your Crucible so when we

use crucibles we don't carry the hat

around with it the lid we just grip it

by the sides and that thing's not going

anywhere it's very very secure that way

so we can carry it around the lab put it

up we don't want to be touching it with

our hands because it's usually going to

be very hot so we can carry it around

with The Crucible tongs pretty

easy so these Crucible tongues these

with the rubber tips are called Beaker

tongs and these are used to pick up hot

beakers usually it's a lot easier than

this especially if a beaker is a little

bit larger and full of boiling water

it's going to be very heavy and it's

going to be hard to lift with Crucible

tongs so we use the beaker tongs they're

padded they've got a little nonstick or

non-slip uh rubber sleeve on each of the

the arms and uh we can carry around our

Beaker like

that so we can heat liquids in beakers

we can heat solids in crucibles we can

do chemical reactions in test tubes or

in earin Meer flasks what if we want to

heat something we keep talking about

heating things how do we heat things

well we're going to use something called

a bunson burner here's a bunson

burner very famous uh structure here in

in chemistry we use these buns and

burners to heat things all the time in a

later video I'll show you how to light

it properly there's a right way to light

this thing and a way that's not quite as

efficient and more difficult so I'll

show you the easy and correct way of

lighting buns and burner later on but we

heat things with buns and burner this

end of the hose gets hooked up to the

gas and uh we light the tip right here I

turn on the gas and light it and we get

a nice flame that can get fairly hot

about 700° or so well uh we can hold

something directly over the flame using

one of our tongs but sometimes we just

want to let it sit especially if we're

going to do uh let water boil and so if

we want to do that we're going to set up

a little structure called a ring stand

with a ring and some other items that we

might put

on so here is a ring

stand and and it has this little

platform base we can often put our

bunson burner directly on there and then

we can set something clamp something to

the stand

itself in this case I have an iron ring

it clamps right on here I can put the

bunson burner right underneath it and

then if I want a platform or something I

can use for example this this is called

a wire gauze it's made out of wire it

has this asbest circle in the center

that allows us to uh heat evenly and I

can put the wire gauze on top of the

iron ring and I get a very nice little

cook top and then I can put my Beaker on

top of that and I can heat it nicely so

that's one way that I can heat things if

I want to heat a crucible up on

my little oven top I can do this but

there's probably a little bit easier way

and uh better way to heat a crucible we

can use something called a clay triangle

this is a clay triangle and that

actually holds the Cru Crucible rather

nicely right in place if we wanted to

heat The Crucible when it's time to

light the bunson burner I use a sparker

this is a sparker it creates a little

spark and I can light the buns and burer

again you'll see this later on when we

go ahead and uh show you how to light

the bunson bur just a couple more to do

couple of other pieces of equipment that

you're going to be using that you want

to become familiar with uh this anytime

you need to take take some powders or

crystals out of a uh a beaker for

example or out of a bottle you're going

to use this thing this is called a

scoopula it's like half scoop half

spatula and so you can reach in and you

can grab some and it sort of sits right

in there it's like a little spoon it

sits in there and you can transfer it

from one place to another so the

scoopula is used to get solid powders or

crystals out of bottles or beakers and

put them someplace where you want to use

them this looks like a giant contact

lens it is in fact called a watch glass

and we can use this we can put something

on there to observe it uh we don't ever

heat a watch glass be very careful

sometimes you might want to heat this

don't Heat this this uh Pyrex that it's

made out of is pretty fragile and it'll

crack if you try to heat it if you do

want to heat something in an open

container that's not like a crucible you

can use The Crucible Big Brother this is

an evaporating dish and you can put

something in here and you can heat it

very strongly it's also made out of very

strong porcelain it will heat very well

you can put it in here and it will well

it'll evaporate whatever liquid might be

in there so evaporating dishes are

better to evaporate liquids

overheat most of you probably know what

this is this is called a filter funnel

this is used when we need to filter a

solid out of a liquid we put a piece of

filter paper in here we pour our mixture

through the solid gets stuck in the

filter paper and the liquid goes right

on through same general idea as a basic

coffee maker that's kind of how coffee

makers work the coffee filter is the

filter paper the structure that you put

that filter in is like the funnel and

the mixture is the coffee grounds and

the water going through it and what

comes through is what is dissolved

what's mostly liquid so we use the

coffee filter uh filter

funnel just a couple

more this is a glass stirring Rod it is

used you guessed it to stir it's glass

it's Pyrex actually so it doesn't react

you generally don't want to stir with

metal especially if you have acids or

things that react with metal uh use

Pyrex because it's not going to

react

this looks like an ey dropper it is

actually called A pipet and A pipet is

used well that's what an eye dropper is

it's a pipet so if you want to suck up a

little liquid on one place and put it

someplace else you use a pip hat these

things are disposable we throw them out

all the time if you use them generally

they get a little dirty you can't clean

them real well because the opening at

the at the tip there is very very small

so we just throw them out

and

finally a thermometer you're going to

need to take some temperatures

occasionally this is a thermometer now

this one is a mercury thermometer we

probably will not be using mercury

thermometers even though it is coated

with something so that it won't break uh

we generally don't like to use mercury

so the ones that you use will probably

be alcohol means they'll have a blue or

red liquid in there uh still used to

take temperature so that's a lot of

equipment um if you've just watched this

video through without pausing you're

going to miss a lot you should probably

go back and use the handout that has all

the pictures and write in their names

and write down maybe their structures or

their functions so that you know what

they do you're going to start to need to

know what these things are because when

we do labs in the lab description it'll

say take a 50ml graduated cylinder well

you need to know what to look for if

you're doing a 50ml graduated cylinder

so learn your lab equipment learn their

names learn their basic functions and

don't forget to do the Whisk at the end

of the video and we'll see you later